Love Holds No Boundaries
by SincerelyShania
Summary: Sakura is taken by the Akatsuki. Well, more specifically, targeted by Itachi. Why? Rated M for later chapters.
1. On The Way

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto characters.**

There was once a time when she could say she was happy, and truly mean it; there was once a time when she could embrace all of her feelings, and be completely fine with it; there was once a time when life had a meaning, and she was sure of where she wanted to get... Those times seem to be so long ago.

At the age of sixteen, Sakura Haruno is a kunoichi from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She studied under Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage. In the time she wasn't training with Tsunade, she took up duties at the hospital. At one point in time, the pink-headed ninja could never have thought of herself as being good for anything; she felt she had nothing to contribute. Now, she had finally found things she was excellent at, but, for some odd reason, she couldn't help but feel even more dissatisfied than she had before. She loves the work she does, but something inside of her always wants to tell her that there's more to everything than what she is accepting as good enough.

This point in her life is where the real journey begins. Just like Naruto and Sasuke had before her, Sakura was about to have to choose a path and try to decipher what her heart truly yearned for.

* * *

><p>"Ugh, my head is killing me!"<p>

Tsunade sank back in her chair and began to rub her temples. Sakura saw it coming. The sannin had traits that she really looked up to, and then, she had other characteristics that completely threw off her magnificent image.. Drinking was one of those things.

It was silent for a few moments as the Hokage tried to relax and let her headache ease away. Once she finally composed herself, she spoke again.

"Sakura, I have a job for you. I need you to run over to the Saranogi Sanctuary to the north of the village and deliver these scrolls. They need them for some research. Do you mind?"

The young student wasn't a fool. She was fully aware that Tsunade's question was just a way of making her feel better about taking on a mission that required her to leave her ultimate duties. Actually saying that she did mind doing the mission, was never an option. So, she always tried her best to just accept it and get on with her life.

"No, I don't mind. I should only be gone about four days, at most. Probably not even that long at all."

The blond-headed woman grinned.

"Alright, Sakura. Thank you for running this errand, and thanks for letting me know how long to wait before I start worrying about you."

"No problem, Lady Tsunade. I'll just pack a few things and I'll be off."

With that, Sakura left for her house and packed for her short trip.

* * *

><p>After walking for a while the previous day, Sakura had stopped to rest. Now, she was making for her destination once again. It was a beautiful day. The skies were somewhat cloudy and the wind was blowing, causing a cool, but not uncomfortable, weather condition.<p>

The mature teenage girl was walking and humming a happy little tune to herself, when suddenly, she heard a noise from behind her. She came to an abrupt stop and could tell someone was trailing her. She quickly spun around on her heel, only to meet the stare of Itachi Uchiha. Next to the crimson-eyed assassin was his partner-in-crime, Kisame Hoshigake. While training under Tsunade, Sakura had read about them both. Neither of them were people she ever wished to go up against.

"Hello, Girlie. Looks like you'll be coming with us."

Kisame's rough and unsettling voice sent a chill down the cherry blossom's spine. She didn't know what was going on, but she wasn't going to go anywhere with S-ranked Criminals without a fight.

Sakura drove her fist into the ground. It split in two, causing both of the Akatsuki members to separate. She then ran after Kisame and landed a successful punch on to his jaw, by pure luck. The shark-like man went flying.

"Hmph! That'll teach you to-" Sakura's sentence was cut off by a fist to her stomach. She hunched over and slightly tilted her head to look up. Her gaze landed upon the all too intimidating eyes of Itachi. Quickly after seeing who had landed the blow, the pink-haired kunoichi went limp and blacked out.

Kisame walked back up while rubbing the side of his face shortly after.

"That hurt. Remind me to pay her back for that later."

Itachi didn't reply. He just threw the girl over his shoulder and began to walk back to their base.


	2. It Must Be Done

Sakura jolted awake, and quickly after regretted doing so. Her body was sore and she was dirty. She looked around. There were three brick walls around her, and a cell door. The room she was in was barren- no objects were to be seen other than some chains nailed into the walls.

_Where am I? Why am I here? What happened to me? How could this have happened? _Thoughts ran in and out of Sakura's head. She tried to stand up and walk toward the cell gate, but she was bound to her spot by chains. The girl was tired and felt weak. Her chakra levels were extremely low, resulting in her being unable to escape her bondage. She guessed her kidnappers had drained her of her energy.

As Sakura tried to look for any way of getting free, footsteps distracted her from her thoughts. Just outside of the cell door stood Itachi and Kisame. Kisame's lunatic and pure evil look caused Sakura to fear him, but not nearly as much as she feared Itachi. It seemed like the Uchiha was completely emotionless. His eyes held no feeling and even if he was thinking about something, you wouldn't be able to tell.

It was silent for a while as the wielder of the Sharingan stared at the pink haired girl, along with his team mate. The silence was finally broken when the shark man spoke.

"Well, well. You better be lucky that Itachi needs you right now, or I would definitely teach you a lesson. It wasn't very nice of you to punch me like you did. Oh, how I so wish I could rip you to shreds with my shark skin sword."

Sakura waited before replying. She wanted to see if Itachi, or Kisame, would just go ahead and tell her why she was there, but when no one spoke, she finally replied.

"I would be happy to hurt you again if I could. What do the two of you want with me? What could I possibly have that S-ranked criminals need?"

"My pal here is having problems with his eyes, and you're going to fix the issues."

"There are many medical ninjas out there. You didn't have to go out of your way to come after me. Plus, what makes you think I would ever help scum like you?"

The grin Kisame already had planted on his face grew larger.

"I don't think you understand, girl. You don't have a choice. Either you help Itachi, or we will have no need for you, and we couldn't just let you walk away. If you don't help him, we'll kill you. If you decide to be a good little girl and assist him, we'll take you back home."

Sakura had always been loyal to her village, and helping any member of the Akatsuki would be a form of betrayal. She was scared. She didn't want to be killed, and had no doubt in her mind that if she proved to be useless, the two cloaked men would have no problem disposing of her. She thought hard. Tsunade would understand why she had to help an enemy, right? She wasn't left with any other choice.

Sakura sighed heavy in defeat.

"I...guess I'll have to help, but, answer me this one question: why me? Why did y'all travel all the way over to the Hidden Leaf Village, just to kidnap me?"

Finally, for the first time, Itachi spoke.

"You are the only one who can heal my eyes."

The cherry blossoms eyes widened. She didn't understand.

"How could that be? Why can only I do it?"

"I know that your mother and father were murdered a little over a year ago, and that you don't really have any other blood relatives that you know of, but you come from more of a special family than you may think. The Haruno Clan has a special kind of chakra that is ideal for healing and controlling. You learned quickly under Tsunade, did you not? Why do you think that is? Even the Fifth Hogake herself couldn't master healing techniques and chakra control as fast as you did. The point being, your unique chakra leads you to be the only person who can properly and completely heal my eyes."

Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had always admired clans such as the Uchiha and Hyuga because they were strong and held high status. Now, she was learning that her clan had a specialty of its own. For a moment she couldn't speak. Once she had gathered herself, she continued the conversation.

"I never knew... I have another question, though. What exactly is wrong with your eyes? From what I've heard, your skill and strength haven't faltered."

Kisame's voice randomly broke in after you finished speaking.

"Itachi, I'm getting extremely hungry. I'm going to the base to get food. Do you need me back, or can you handle this on your own?"

The Uchiha glared at Kisame, causing him to tense up. The swordsman knew he had offended Itachi by asking him if he required his assistance to handle one measly teenage girl. He quickly left without waiting for an actual answer, because the glare was indication enough.

Once Itachi heard the door to the outside click shut, he began speaking again.

"The Sharingan is a great and powerful tool, but like most things, this power comes at a price. My eye sight is going, and if I let it go on untreated, not only will I lose the ability to use the Sharingan and the ability to see correctly, but I will also become deadly ill. That is why I cannot afford to waste anymore time. I need my eyes fixed soon."

"Aside from me not wanting to help you, there is one more problem. I know little about the Sharingan, so it will be very difficult for me to help you at all."

"I have books and scrolls that provide almost all information about the Sharingan. I will have you read them so you may perform the task given to you."

"One more thing, Uchiha."

"What is it, Haruno?"

"I know I'm the prisoner, but can I please go somewhere other than this cell?"

Itachi looked the girl over for a moment, and then walked into the cell. He bent down and undid the chains around her ankles and wrists. Sakura could have used the opportunity to fight him or run, but she new she wouldn't stand a chance of escaping either way. Instead, she stood and waited for the crimson-eyed man to guide her to another place.

"I am no fool. It would be a bad idea to let you walk out of this holding area and to the base without covering your eyes. If you saw the area and we let you go, you may be able to give the Hidden Leaf a clue as to where the Akatsuki hideout it located. I have a cloth. Tie it around your head and make sure it blocks your vision."

With that being said, Itachi held out a thick, black cloth to Sakura. She took it and made sure it disabled her vision, just as he had instructed her to do. She wasn't even going to attempt to trick him.

When Sakura was done, she put her hands back at her sides. She felt the Uchiha's hand wrap around her own. He began to walk and she followed. He stayed just slightly in front of her so that he could watch her as they walked, to make sure she didn't lift the cloth at any time.

The frightened kunoichi was walking too slow for Itachi's taste. She was afraid that she would run into something, since he was more to her side than leading her. Growing impatient, the Akatsuki member let go of her hand and got behind her. She felt him place his hands at her side. Sakura hated to admit it, but she kind of liked it.

Itachi led her the rest of the way to the base this way. Once they were inside, he released her and took off her blind fold. She examined the area. They were standing in a small area that lead to a hallway. She looked to her left and saw people's shoes. She assumed they belonged to the other members of the Akatsuki. The cloaked man beside her removed his shoes and put them with the others. She followed his exampled and did the same.

After Sakura's shoes were off and in the pile with the rest of the footwear, Itachi led her down a maze of hallways and to a room. He opened the door and stepped aside so that she could go inside. She stepped passed the Uchiha and scanned her surroundings. The room was well sized. Against the back wall was a king sized bed that had black sheets and four red pillows, and there was a night stand to each side of the headboard. On the far right was a door to a bathroom, and on the near left wall was a door to the closet. All of the walls had painted designs on them. The paintings resembled a field or meadow, and behind Itachi's bed was a cherry blossom tree. Sakura turned to Itachi as he entered the room and closed the door.

"This is one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever seen. It's even better than some high class hotels I've slept in while on a mission. These paintings are extremely good. Who did them?"

Itachi looked over the artwork on his walls before answering.

"I did."

Sakura couldn't believe it. She had never seen any art so magnificent, and it had been done by a murderous, S-ranked criminal.

"Wow.. That's amazing, Uchiha. I love it. I didn't know you had any talents other than the ninja skills you obviously possess."

"Well, things aren't always as they seem."

Itachi brushed past Sakura and took off his cloak. He folded it up neatly and put it on top of a dresser in his closer. Then, he took off his shirt. Sakura could feel the warmth rising in her cheeks as a blush graced its way across her face. Itachi was very well built and it was unquestionable that he kept in shape. The girl didn't want to anger him by staring, but every time she would look away, her eyes would return to him. This happened multiple times before he looked at her. The blush grew even redder. The Uchiha gave her a questioning glace.

"What is it, Haruno? Your face is extremely red. Are you hot or something?"

"N-no." Sakura stuttered. "I'm, uh, just embarrassed because... I'm filthy, and, hmm.. I never allow myself to get this dirty."

Itachi stared at her for a few seconds. It seemed like he was trying to decide whether to buy what she just said or not. He ultimately chose just to let it go.

"I am about to take a shower. You may take one after I am through, if you are that bothered by your 'unsanitary' condition."

With that, the kunoichi's captor walked into the bathroom and shut the door. She knew there was still no point in trying to escape. He probably had traps and barriers set up for her just in case. Instead, the pink headed ninja sat on the edge of the bed and let herself drift into deep thought.


	3. Are You Serious?

About twenty minutes had passed since Itachi had gone into the bathroom until the water finally stopped. Sakura was waiting patiently, but at the same time, very eagerly, to take her shower. The situation she was in made her very uncomfortable. That's to be expected though. Anyone still in their right mind that was being held captive by one of the most dangerous criminal organizations known to the great nations would feel the same as she did.

_How do I keep getting myself into these situations? It's always me._ Sakura sighed at her thoughts. Naruto and Sasuke never got into trouble the way she did. Sure, each of them had run into some hard and intimidating situations, but they had always been able to get themselves out of them. Sakura, on the other hand, always relied on her team mates to get her out of trouble. She hated feeling so weak and having to depend on others to keep her safe. Once again, her current predicament further proved that she was almost completely incapable of fending for herself. It made her want to cry.

As thoughts found their way in and out of Sakura's mind, the bathroom door opened, drawing her attention. Itachi stood at the opening with only a towel around his midsection. Sakura immediately began blushing like mad, but the emotionless man kept the same cool composure he always had. In fact, the innocent girl would have gone as far as to say he didn't even see any problem with what was happening.

Itachi looked the pink-haired and red-faced girl over thoroughly, before making a statement.

"When I walked into to the bathroom, your face was red, and now, as I'm walking out, it is the same way. You can take a shower. No need to stay embarrassed when you're about to take care of the problem you think you have."

At first, Sakura was confused as to what he was talking about. Then, she remembered her excuse for her previous blush.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. You probably don't understand because, one, you don't really ever experience feelings like this, and two, I'm a girl. Girls can be weird sometimes, ya know? Just worrying about things that don't even matter..." Sakura knew she was rambling, but it was somewhat distracting her from Itachi's greatly exposed form. She continued talking as she picked up the bag that she had packed and made her way to the bathroom. "You'll have to excuse my obsessive hygiene issue. I've always been like this. My mom used to call me a cleanliness cop. Funny right? Oh, right, you have no sense of humor.. NOT TO OFFEND YOU! I mean, uh, I'm going to take my shower now!"

With that, Sakura slammed the bathroom door shut, leaving a confused Itachi on the other side. She was just happy to finally be able to take her shower. She turned the water on and stripped down. Once the water was the right temperature, she stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain across so that the water wouldn't end up on the floor outside.

The water felt good against the kunoichi's aching muscles. The shower area was fairly large. It was more than big enough to hold two people. Sakura liked it. As the water washed away the dirt and filth from her skin, it also washed away some of her fear and overly emotional thoughts.

After Sakura was nice and clean, she turned off the water, got a towel, dried off a bit, and used the towel to cover some of herself as she looked into the fogged up mirror. She felt fresh. The only thing that physically looked wrong with her at the moment were the bags under her eyes. It was nothing some sleep couldn't fix.

She stood staring at herself for a little, then began to use her finger to write things on the mirror since it was still quite fogged up. All of a sudden, the bathroom door swung opened. Sakura let out a loud, surprised gasp as she saw Itachi standing in the doorway staring at her.

"W-what do you want?"

Sakura asked her question as calmly as she could, but she felt rather violated and was slightly frightened.

"You were in here for some time after I heard the water go off," Itachi started, averting his eyes over to the mirror. "I decided to come in and make sure you weren't trying anything. What is this writing about?"

"Ah, I don't know. I guess I just got bored and lost in thought. Oh, and I just want you to know something. If you weren't an extremely strong S-ranked criminal, I would beat you to a pulp right now."

"Why is that?"

Sakura scanned over Itachi for a moment. He had to be kidding, right? He walked into the bathroom unannounced and before she had gotten dressed. He had to know that was the problem.

"You seriously don't know what the issue is right now?"

"I have no reason to joke with you."

"Well..." Sakura trailed off a bit before continuing, "You just randomly burst into the bathroom."

Itachi waited for her to continue, thinking she would reveal a deeper meaning. After a minute of silence, he spoke.

"Explain what about it is an issue."

"I COULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY NAKED! PRIVACY IS KEY TO ME! I would have been extremely embarrassed if you had walked in and I didn't have this towel wrapped around me."

Sakura watched as crimson eyes looked her up and down and then met with her own foam green orbs. For some time, the staring continued. Both Sakura and Itachi seemed to be searching for something in the other, but what exactly it was, neither of them knew.

"I shall let you finish dressing," was what Itachi said right before he walked out of the bathroom and closed the door. Sakura knew to hurry and put on her clothes, so she did just that.

Once finished, she walked out of the bathroom to find Itachi sitting on the bed reading over a scroll on genjutsu. He simply let his gaze fall onto her very briefly to let her know he acknowleged her. She slightly nodded in return, and continued walking to the far side of the bed.

Sighing, Sakura plopped down lazily. This time, her dark haired captor put down his scroll to focus on her.

"It seems you have already made the assumption that you are sleeping in this room with me, which is correct, but, how do you know I won't have you sleep on the floor? My job isn't to make you comfortable; it is to get my eyes healed."

The criminal's victim laid still for a moment, considering what he had just said. Her thoughts at a conclusion, she replied.

"Healing your eyes isn't going to be easy, especially under the conditions. I need good rest to pull it off."

"You're very persuasive," Itachi let a light grin force its way onto his face before finishing. "I'll allow you to sleep in the bed. Just don't bother me in my slumber."

Just five minutes after the short conversation, Sakura was asleep. Itachi examined her. Her hair and eyes were, at the least, beautiful. Even he had to admit that. He found some inspiration in her sleeping form and pulled out his art paper and drawing utensils. After thoroughly taking in her image one more time, he began to draw.


	4. Improvise

Sakura woke up and stretched as memory of the past couple days came back into her conscious mind. Scratching her head, the tired kunoichi sat up and looked around. No one was in the room with her, but some clothes, seemingly for women, were sprawled out across Itachi's side of the bed.

_I really hope those are for me. _Sakura giggled at her thought. Stretching once more, she got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. She got the water running and walked back into the bedroom to retrieve the clothes set out for her. Picking them up, she frowned in displeasure. The frown soon morphed into a grin and an idea found its way into the girl's mind.

Looking around, Sakura opened one of Itachi's drawers and found some scissors. Jack pot. Cutting utensil in hand, she began to shape the unsuitable clothes into something more to her liking.

After finishing her project, the pink haired stylist looked over her work. Although she had to cut more than she would have preferred, due to how the clothes were originally made, she was still pleased with the final outcome. Sighing in triumph, Sakura hummed her way back into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Once Sakura was sure she was nice and clean, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. While drying herself off a bit, she looked into the mirror. The bags under her eyes had disappeared for the most part, but she decided she would still like to put some make up on.

When the all-too-obvious-at-the-moment teenage girl finally had all her make up that she had packed assembled, she got to work applying it to herself.

It took a good ten minutes before she was satisfied with her work. She thought her outfit and make up made her look different, but she liked it.

Sakura had on a red tank top that came about three inches below her breasts and black shorts that came to mid-thigh. She had on a fishnet cover over her tank top that could easily be seen through, which hung over her shoulders and went all the way down to the palms of her hands. Her make up matched her outfit. Black eye liner lined all around both of her eyes, and red eye shadow was carefully applied to each eye lid. She did not have lip stick on, but in place of it had shiny lip gloss that had a scarlet tint to it.

Sakura smiled at herself, but still felt something was missing. She knew that she still needed to put on her knee high boots, but there was something else keeping her look from completely coming together. Suddenly, it hit her. She needed to style her hair a tad differently.

Finally realizing what she needed to complete her appearance, Sakura started trying out different hair styles. It took a good twenty minutes for her to decide on one, but she was very content with it. Most of her rosette colored hair was pulled up into a wild pony tail, while her bangs hung into her face.

Sakura, happy with her transformation, put on her boots and debated on what to do. She didn't know whether to stay in the room and wait for Itachi or to explore a little around the base. Curiosity got the best of her, and she decided to go with the second option.

Silently opening the bedroom door, the sneaky kunoichi stepped out into the hallway. Once she was sure no one was around, she closed the door behind her and started to wander.

Surprisingly enough, even after half an hour of roaming around, Sakura didn't run into anyone. She figured it was about time to head back to Itachi's room anyway, but there was a major problem. She didn't know how to get back there.

Slightly panicked, Sakura started searching for the room. She was so tied up in doing so, that when she turned a corner she collided with someone. Neither her nor the other person fell, but she stumbled back. Once she had regained her balance, she looked up to meet crimson eyes.

The green eyed captive's heart was racing. She was scared, and the fear was surely apparent on her face. She waited for Itachi to punish her or make a move, but instead, he only spoke.

"Hmph. What causes you to think you can just roam around the base?"

"Well.. I..." Sakura didn't know how to reply. She knew not giving an answer would probably be unacceptable, but she feared an "unsuitable" answer would have consequences.

Seeing Sakura's distress, Itachi sighed heavily and walked passed her. Knowing well what to do, the girl followed. The two got back to Itachi's room and went in. The emotionless man closed the door and then took time to actual examine Sakura. He finally noticed the changes she had made. He couldn't deny that he liked it. She looked mature and appeared to have a dangerous edge. Although he took in every detail of her new look, he did not make his slight interest in her transformation known.

As Itachi stayed silent, Sakura's discomfort grew. She wondered what he was thinking about. Not able to keep her gaze, she looked away from him. It was at that time that something caught her eye. Rising slowly, she walked over to Itachi's night stand and opened another drawer. In there, she found a drawing and some art supplies. The drawing was beautiful and nearly flawless. As Sakura looked over it, she realized the drawing was of her.

Turning to Itachi, picture in hand, the girl addressed him.

"This picture of me that you drew... It's beautiful. It has so much detail and..." Sakura trailed off as she continued to stare at the artwork.

"I see," Itachi started. "You seem to enjoy my art."

Sakura nodded in confirmation.

"Hm. Anyway, back to the original topic, wandering around here isn't in your best interest. The other members know of you being here, and will not bother you at all while you are in my room. As soon as you step foot out into the hall way without me, though, some of them may see you as fair game."

"Fair game?" Sakura questioned, not sure she really wanted him to explain but wanting an answer anyway.

"Yes, fair game. I'm sure you know of Akatsuki's reputation for having odd but strong members. Not all of them would pay attention to you at all, but some of them may have some twisted things they have planned to do with you. If you are caught wandering around by yourself, you will have no protection. I can promise you, it won't end well."

"Oh.." The cherry blossom's innocent face let Itachi know she meant no harm when she was roaming around and that she was now frightened. She continued. "I understand. I'd rather not find out what the other members of your organization are capable of. At least, not if it affects me in a negative way. Plus, I walked around for about 30 minutes, and I know I must've been walking in circles. I get lost in here. There is just one problem at the moment, though."

Itachi ever so slightly raised an eye brow. "What is it?"

"I'm extremely hungry." Sakura blushed a bit at saying this. Not that she really had a reason to; it was just how she was.

"I shall bring you food. The leader is here and everyone is tense from some business that went wrong. It would be best if you just stayed put while I went and got you a meal."

"Alright. That would be nice."

At hearing Sakura's reply, Itachi left the room to go get her something to eat. After Sakura heard his footsteps fade, she plopped onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She stayed like this until her captor came back with her food.

Itachi placed Sakura's meal on the bed next to her, and watched her devour it hungrily. Once she was finished, she set the dishes on the stand next to the side of the bed where she slept. Her head hung, as if she was discouraged or sad. The Uchiha's own curiosity kicked in.

"What is wrong?"

"I feel lonely and miss my friends.." Sakura didn't know how else to put it. She was just feeling majorly home sick.

"The sooner you heal my eyes, the sooner you may go home."

"I know, but who knows how long this will take? It's a process. I can't just learn everything and completely heal your eyes in one day."

Itachi watched as tears formed at the base of Sakura's eyes. He too knew what it was like to feel extremely home sick. He assumed that must of been what sparked his sudden generosity.

"Is there anything that I can do to help you adjust to the situation a little better? Do not start thinking that I am going to go easy on you just because I asked that, but for the best results on my eyes, I suppose I need you feeling as good and healthy as I can get you too."

Sakura's eyes widened, then she sat quietly as she thought. Gaining an answer, she replied.

"I guess there are a few things..."


	5. Magnificent Picture

Itachi leaned against a tree as he watched Sakura explore the garden. She had a huge smile on her face and made sure to smell every flower she came by. After Itachi asked if there was anything that could make her stay a bit more comfortable, she said that some fresh air would help. When he informed her that the Akatsuki had a garden at the center of their base, the pink haired girl smiled wider than he had seen her smile the whole time she had been there.

Sakura spun around a few times and then looked at Itachi.

"I love gardens, you know."

He let out an almost sarcastic sigh before replying.

"I can see that."

"When my parents were alive, we had a garden. My mom, my dad and I would go out to the garden every other day and work on it. That was our family time. It was actually really fun, and it made me feel at peace," Sakura looked down and tapped the ground lightly with the toe of her boot before continuing. "Even after they died, I continued to withhold our made up tradition. I love this garden, though. It's perfect. I would have never guessed a place this beautiful would be created and taken care of by and organization like the Akatsuki."

Itachi looked over the scenery, only moving his eyes to do so.

"I suppose it is surprising. Although we are dubbed to be evil, murderous, S-ranked criminals, we still would like where we live to be homey. That urge inside someone to always be where they are most comfortable doesn't go away all too easily."

It was silent for a few minutes. The wind blew just hard enough to cause the trees and flowers to dance and rustle. Itachi examined Sakura as she scanned over the garden. Her eyes eventually met his, and when they did, she spoke again.

"I just thought of something else you could do to help me get a little more adjusted to being here."

The crimson eyed criminal raised an eye brow in curiosity. Sakura saw this and took it as a gesture to tell him what the request was.

"Draw a picture of me in this garden. Please."

Itachi couldn't deny that he was a bit confused by why she would want him to do that.

"I can do it easily enough, but I can't say that I understand why it is that you want me to."

"Well..." Green eyes searched the ground for something to look at while the girl assembled her thoughts. "It would put two beautiful things into one."

At this point, Itachi was starting to assume one of the other members had already gotten to her and messed with her mind. She wasn't making any sense.

"It would put two beautiful things into one?"

"Yes. This garden is beautiful, and so is your art. I would have an amazing picture made by you of a magnificent place. Do you see what I mean now?"

"I do. Your way of thinking is complicated, but understandable. If we are going by that logic, I think that there will be more just two beautiful things put into one."

"What do you mean?"

Itachi's own eyes widened at what he had said. He had been talking about her. He had to admit it. Where that sudden admiration had come from, he didn't know, and it made the situation even more odd than it already had been. He may not have been able to deny what he was truly saying to himself, but he wouldn't let her know anymore than she already did, which was nothing.

"Some of my thoughts got mixed into my speech, that's all. Forget about it. Come with me to go get my art supplies. You can't stay here alone."

Sakura was perplexed, but obliged. She didn't want to be caught alone by one of the other members.

Once they had gotten the needed supplies and gotten back out to the garden, the kunoichi examined each inch of the area, trying to decide where the best place would be to position herself for Itachi's drawing. She remembered the painting of a cherry blossom tree that her captor had created on his wall and how perfect it was. It helped her make up her mind. She jogged over to the sakura tree that had grown in the middle of the garden and sat down in front of it. She put her legs up to her chest, then wrapped her arms around them. Leaning against the tree, the girl gave an indication to Itachi that he could begin to draw, so he did.

Although it was Sakura's request for him to draw, Itachi didn't mind it at all. Art was his way of relieving stress, and he really needed it at that moment. As he drew, he made sure to incorporate every detail he could- the fallen blossom petals around the tree, the way Sakura's pink hair stuck out every here and there because it was against the bark, the way her emerald eyes reflected the light from the sun, the flowers that were surrounding the scene, and everything in between.

It took the raven haired man about an hour to finish the picture completely. Once finished, he motioned for Sakura to walk over and see. As soon as she laid her eyes upon the masterpiece, her jaw slightly dropped in awe. It had gone beyond her expectations, which had already been extremely high.

"It's more than amazing, Itachi! I've never seen art this gorgeous in my life! Thank you so much!"

Without thinking, the excited kunoichi threw her arms around Itachi in an embrace. The picture she had him draw was for more sentimental reasons than she let on, and she couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome. Soon realizing what she was doing, Sakura quickly released him. She stood, scared, awaiting his reaction. To her surprise, he showed no signs of being angry or displeased. He simply handed her the drawing and gathered his things. Once he was sure all his supplies were in hand, he began walking back to his room. The rosette haired girl quietly followed.

The two made it back to the room without running into anyone else. Although it was a good thing, Sakura couldn't help but to wonder why they hadn't seen another person all day, or at least she hadn't. It was very strange. She assumed that the others would be walking around, doing whatever S-ranked criminals do in their spare time.

"Hey, Itachi?"

Her captor didn't say anything back. He just made a low, short grunting noise to tell her to finish what she was saying.

"I was just wondering... why is it that we haven't run into any of the other members? I know none of them have very many friends, but I'd still like to think they'd be walking around their own domain or something. I don't know. I guess I just find it odd."

"I told you, everyone is very weary and stressed over some business gone wrong," Itachi stopped speaking as he opened his bedroom door, and then continued once they were both inside with the door closed. "Everything we do here is very important to our ultimate goal. If even one thing goes wrong, it may jeopardize all that we have worked towards. We can't afford many mistakes, and the ones that are made must be fixed."

"So why don't you guys just go fix this one?"

"Because this one is going to be fairly hard to make right. A lot of planning, and strategy, is going to be needed to pull off the mission correctly. Speaking of which, I need to go check with the leader on a few things. Stay here."

"I plan on it. While you're gone, I guess I'll get to studying up on how to heal your eyes. I don't want to be here longer than needed."

Itachi slightly tilted his head down in an affirmative nod before walking back out of the room and shutting the door behind him. With that, Sakura grabbed a few books and scrolls and started her studying.


	6. Normal?

By the time Itachi finally made it back to his room, Sakura was asleep. She had her back against the head board and her head was hung down. There were books and scrolls spread out all around her. Some were opened, and others were in piles.

Itachi couldn't help but to admit that he was impressed. The pink haired girl had definitely kept her word and had exceeded his expectations. He didn't need to have seen her studying; he could tell by her current position that she had put a lot of effort into it. Moving the books out of the way, he laid her down. She stirred a bit, but did not wake. With that, Itachi walked back out of the room to let her rest.

A few hours passed before Sakura woke up. It was late, and she was alone in the room.

"Wow," Sakura sighed as she stretched. "I must have been out of it for a while. Just great. That means I'll have a hard time getting back to sleep tonight... Speaking of which, how did I end up like this?"

The green eyed kunoichi pondered on her last thought for a moment. She knew it must have been her captor's doing, because no one else would dare to come into his room. Although she wasn't quite sure why he decided to make a kind gesture, she didn't think too far into it. Hopping up, she made her way into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Once she was finished, she got dressed and walked out of the restroom. A few seconds after her, Itachi entered the room. The two made eye contact and kept it for a minute or so before Sakura spoke.

"Welcome back. I just got done bathing so the bathroom is all yours if you need it."

The raven haired man examined her. "You don't plan on sleeping in your new clothes, do you?"

"Of course," Sakura replied as she sat on the bed. "I have nothing else to wear."

Itachi, remaining silent, walked over to his closet and pulled out one of his t-shirts. He then scanned over it before tossing it to her. She easily caught it, but gave him a questioning look. Seeing this, Itachi explained.

"It is for you to wear to sleep. It should be long enough to not expose anything that shouldn't be able to be seen."

"Alright. Thank you," Sakura said as she walked into the bathroom to put it on.

After changing into the "night gown", Sakura emerged from the restroom and threw her clothes onto the top of her bag. Itachi glanced up from the sketch that he was working on and focused on her. His attraction to her slightly increased at that moment, and he had no idea why. He disliked the fact that since she had come into the picture, it started getting harder and harder for him to understand himself.

The now content kunoichi made her way over to her side of the bed and plopped down next to Itachi. He looked back down at his sketch and started working on it again. A silence lingered on for a while. Once Sakura could barely stand it anymore, she decided to try and start up a conversation.

"What are you drawing?"

Without looking up at her, Itachi replied.

"A sketch of the full midnight moon."

"The full midnight moon? What do you mean?"

"I'd like to think that question would answer itself. I'm drawing a picture of a full moon at midnight."

"Ohhh," Sakura whispered almost to herself. "I think you should draw it over the garden."

"Yes, well, when was your opinion asked?"

Itachi's pink haired captive made a grunting noise then turned her back to him with her arms across her chest. He let a faint smile make its way onto his face. It amused him how she could be so collected one minute, and then be immature the next.

"Then again, maybe you're on to something."

At hearing his, Sakura turned back around and smiled sweetly. It was a very innocent smile, one Itachi hadn't seen since he lived in the Hidden Leaf Village with people who had a true reason to be happy and a conscious much clearer than his own.

Itachi continued to draw and Sakura continued to watch. Once he was finished, he held the sketch up for her to see better.

"It's beautiful," she stated, admiration obvious in her voice.

"Then it's yours," he replied as he handed her the picture. "I draw to rid myself of some stress, and keeping all of my artwork will probably get overwhelming sooner or later."

"Well, in the case, thank you. I definitely don't mind keeping some of your work."

Sakura placed the drawing on the night stand next to her, and then turned around to Itachi once again. She watched him as he put up his drawing supplies and got comfortable in the bed again. He was still sitting up and pulled out a book to read.

The emerald eyed girl stared at her captor. His eyes were scary, but fascinated her. She had always loved the way the Sharingan looked. Eventually, Itachi looked up at her. He didn't speak, but just stared back. Sakura leaned towards him very slowly, until their lips were only a few centimeters apart. The crimson eyed man made did not react, because his judgment was blurred at the moment. She leaned in a little more to fill the small gap in between them.

The kiss that they were sharing lingered. Neither of them knew exactly what to do next. Sakura was the first to move. She placed one leg over both of his, without breaking their kiss, so that she was straddling him. He couldn't deny that he was aroused, but he knew he couldn't let the situation go any further, so he pulled away from her.

"We need to sleep."

Confused, the criminal's companion quickly got off of him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Goodnight."

Both of them turned off their lights and laid down, but Sakura stayed awake. _What kind of man would deny an opportunity like that? Usually I wouldn't be upset, so why am I now?_ The kunoichi's thoughts kept her up for a while, until she finally drifted off into a deep sleep.


	7. What Am I Doing?

Sakura awoke early the next morning, which was to be expected. She had gotten much sleep the previous night. Her emerald eyes made their way over to the peaceful body next to her. The girl smiled softly to herself, thinking of how sleep seemed to give Itachi a much softer look.

Using her years of stealth practice to get up without waking her companion, Sakura rose to her feet. _I know I'm pretty good at being sneaky, but Itachi still must be out cold to have not woken up at my movement,_ she thought to herself. _Man, I'm hungry. My stomach feels like it's eating itself. Maybe I should try and find the kitchen quickly, grab a quick snack, and make it back here before anyone notices._

The pink-haired kunoichi debated with herself but hunger got the best of her, and she decided to try for a quick trip to the kitchen, hoping it wasn't too hard to find.

Sakura opened the bedroom door as slowly and quietly as possible, and then she was off. It took about five minutes of wandering, which felt like eternity to her, to find the kitchen. After making sure no one was around, Sakura made her way over to the large table in the middle of the room. To her liking, huge, fluffy muffins were set out, ready to eat. The girl grabbed one and started to make her way back to Itachi's room.

All was well, as everyone seemed to either be asleep or absent from the hideout. Sakura had finally gotten to a hallway she recognized, knowing around the corner would be the room she was looking for.

As she turned the corner, Sakura collided with someone. She was able to keep her balance, but kept her eyes cast to the floor for a while, knowing full well she really didn't want to look up.

"Girl. Who are you? What are you doing in this hideout?"

The terrified captive slowly raised her head, only to lay her eyes upon a man, if he could even be called a man, who looked odder than almost anything she'd ever seen. He wore the Akatsuki cloak, and from the collar branched out two green stems. It almost reminded her of a Venus Fly Trap, without all the colors. The man's face was multicolored; one half was black, the other white. His cold but intense stare was nothing to take lightly. Obviously getting irritated, the plant-like man repeated himself once again.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I-I'm S-Sakura Haruno," the shivering kunoichi stuttered. "I am h-here because, uh, I, uhmm.."

"Well, Wench, spit it out. Hmm. You fear me, do you not?" The man chuckled deep in his throat as Sakura slightly nodded. "I am Zetsu. Might I say, Girl, you look delicious. I could go for a bit of breakfast right about now."

Sakura's innocent eyes widened in fear. She wanted to run, wanted to scream, but the fear had taken over her body completely, so all she did was stand, frozen in place and shaking.

As Zetsu lashed out to grab her, Sakura shut her eyes as tight as she could, hoping everything would end quickly. The contact she was waiting for, however, never came. Instead, she heard a thud and some wheezing. Slowly, the girl opened her eyes once again, to find the plant-like man pinned against the wall, Itachi's hand on his throat.

"Zetsu," Itachi stated blankly. "You are the eyes and ears of this place. I'm sure you already knew this girl was mine. How dare you try and harm her when you had full knowledge of me needing her?"

Zetsu tried to speak, but all that came out of his mouth were strained, guttural noises. Itachi loosened his grip slightly, to let his victim explain himself.

"I…was hungry…It's hard for me…to control myself…sometimes…I apologize, Itachi…It shall not happen again…"

Red eyes examined Zetsu, and then turned to Sakura.

"You will go back to my room. NOW."

Sakura did not argue in the least. She hurried passed the two criminals and made her way into her captor's room.

"One more thing, Zetsu," Itachi continued. "You and the leader are the only two who know about this girl being here. You will not open your mouth and allow this to become more public news. Do you understand?"

"Yes…Itachi…" the plant-like man breathed out as the raven-haired man released him.

Sakura was startled as the bedroom door was nearly ripped opened and then slammed shut again. Not two seconds later, Sakura was pinned down to the bed, Itacihi's crimson eyes boring deep into her.

"I-Itachi?" Sakura questioned, her eyes betraying her fairly calm exterior. Her captor did not reply, but tightened the grip he had on her wrists, which were above her head. Itachi only needed one hand to keep them locked tightly into place. The frightened adolescent could not kick him off, due to him being positioned on the inside of both her legs. Not that she would dare to try such a stunt anyway.

After minutes of cruel and unsettling silence, Itachi spoke.

"What were you thinking, you stupid girl? I told you not to leave this room. The people here will kill you without thinking twice of it. You are just a pathetic, lowly female ninja in their eyes who wouldn't stand a chance against their power."

Sakura allowed her gaze to meet his own before replying.

"I guess you're right. I am stupid. I always get myself into situations like these, trying to prove that I can do things on my own, when in the end, I always need saving because of it. Naruto and your brother know that all too well, I'm sure."

Itachi's crimson eyes somewhat softened as the girl underneath him spoke, though he cringed at his brother's name.

"You just need to learn your limits."

"My limits? I don't have to go very far to reach them."

"Maybe your problem is you think too lowly of yourself. I suppose that shouldn't be a surprise, when you were placed in a three man squad with not only Sasuke Uchiha, but also the nine-tailed fox's jinchuuriki, Naruto Uzumaki. You had a lot to live up to, being with them. At the time, yes, you were a pathetic excuse for a ninja in comparison to the two, but time changes things. You are not the same girl as you were back then, not at all. You are much stronger, both emotionally and physically. Do not disrespect yourself so. If you were as useless as you make yourself out to be, I would not have chosen you to be the one to heal my eyes. Only a top medic could possess the power to perform the task at hand."

Sakura stared at Itachi, bewildered at his words. He sounded so….sweet. It almost made her want to….

Before the rosette-haired girl could stop herself, she lifted her head slightly to close the distance between her and Itachi. The raven-haired man's eyes widened, knowing this was wrong, knowing he should stop this nonsense, but he eventually gave in, and returned her kiss. He put more into it after a minute, which allowed Sakura to lay her head back onto the bed.

Never letting go of the girl's wrists, Itachi instinctively lowered his crotch to hers, pushing hard against her, allowing her to feel his stiffness. Sakura gasped as so many new sensations took hold of her. She herself knew how wrong the situation was, but it felt too good to stop.

Itachi started rocking back and forth, adding to Sakura's new found pleasure and his own. They kept up this act for a few more minutes, before Itachi jerked back and shook his head. The leader had summoned him, and with it, the Uchiha regained his control.

"I must go. I have been summoned. Stay here and do research. When I return, I will bring lunch. Understood?"

Sakura, still breathing heavily and not fully intact with reality, just mouthed the word "yes" and watched as her captor left the room, putting his nearly emotionless façade back into play.

The kunoichi sat for a while, attempting to pull herself out of the trance that had overtaken her. Once she had accomplished this, she thought about what had just taken place.

_Did I…really allow that to happen? Why would I start something like that? Oh, Kami, what am I doing..?_


	8. Stories

The heart is far too complex to understand. It seems to make judgments before you've even properly met someone, and it starts developing feelings for different things long before you even realize it's happening.

Sakura sat, reading through the many scrolls and books that would give her the information needed to fix her captor's eyes. Though her emerald eyes scanned carefully over the documents, her mind was else ware. She couldn't seem to keep her thoughts from Itachi for too long.

The captive girl brushed her hair out of her face. Captive? Was that really the situation anymore? Her mind seemed to scream at her for even thinking that she might be the slightest bit willing to be where she was; her mind scolded her for wanting to concentrate on her studies, knowing she did not want to focus to bring her out of her thoughts of Itachi, but because part of her really did want to help him. Help him? Did she genuinely want to help HIM? Her mind was furious with her, but her heart...

Her heart yearned for something.

Sakura placed the scroll in her hand to the side, and brought her knees to her chest. Closing her eyes, she began to think. What could it be that her heart was yearning for? Her heart seemed to be accepting this man, this criminal, against her will, but why?

Suddenly, an image of Sasuke made its way into Sakura's thoughts.

_Is it because…he reminds me of you? Do I hope to gain something from him that I couldn't get out of you? Oh Sasuke… Your brother's crimson eyes, though scary and very intimidating, seem to bare the same sorrow and loneliness that yours did. I'm not sure, though. Could it be I'm just over thinking? That's probably it. My heart causes me to be so foolish. How could I ever hope to win the affections of Itachi, when I couldn't even gain the affections of his unbelievably less cold hearted younger brother? No, that shouldn't be the question. The question should be, how could I be allowing myself to want that out of an enemy in the first place? He caused the one I loved so much pain… He caused the man I was inlove with to leave me… How could I—_

"Girl." The troubled girl was snapped from her thoughts by a cold voice. "I trust you have not been idling this whole time and have got some studying done."

"Of course, Itachi," Sakura started. "I was just taking a break. I was starting to get a headache, and I'm beginning to get very hungry."

"I see." Itachi walked silently over to the bed, placing Sakura's food down in front of her. "I have much more class than to eat in bed, but there's little other choice for you in this situation."

The pink haired kunoichi shook her head in understanding then glanced down at her meal. She had been so deep in thought, she hadn't realized how hungry she had gotten. Trying to keep herself from just shoving her meal into her mouth, she spoke again.

"Will you be eating with me?"

Itachi's cold eyes looked over her somewhat curiously. "I suppose I am. Why?"

"Oh, no reason. I was just wondering. I'm beginning to get kind of lonely."

The raven haired man let his eyes slide shut as he sat on a bench next to the window on Sakura's side of the bed, as if contemplating on why others let such silly emotions get to them.

The two sat in silence for a while, both of them eating very slowly. Sakura's eyes drifted over to Itachi, and she wasn't able to look away soon enough to keep him from noticing.

"You know, it isn't polite to stare at people while they eat."

"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind," the girl replied, redirecting her gaze to the window.

"What is bothering you? I can't have your weak mind interfering with your studies."

Though Itachi's comment angered Sakura a little, she was in no mood to argue.

"It's nothing important."

"Then why are you letting it bother you?"

"I never said anything was bothering me. I said I have a lot on my mind."

"I'm sure it means the same thing with you."

Sakura's temper was finally starting to take over, casting out her previous emotions.

"You act like you know something about me."

"You're simple enough to figure out. You're just like almost every other girl I've met. Weak in the heart and easily troubled by the mind."

And that was it.

"First you capture me, then you keep me locked up inside a room, you pretend to start showing signs of warming up to me, and now you dare to sit here and act like you know me? You don't know the first thing about me. How could you? You don't take the time to learn about anyone else except if it benefits you. You're cold at heart, emotionless almost. I'm almost certain you're driven by some sick, twisted goal. It must be so. I mean, you're working with the Akatsuki! You're a sick bastard, you know? You murdered your own family! Your own flesh and blood! You spared your little brother, but you might as well have ended his miserable life then and there! Instead, he's suffered for years, and now he's with some inhuman man who wants to take his body! It's because of you he's so hurt! It's because of you he left his friends! It's because of YOU he left ME! Of course, though, what does it matter to you? I can't wait to get done with your eyes so I can get out of here! Tsunade will start worrying about me soon, if she hasn't already, and she will send people looking for me. My friends will be worried by then as well. Once again, I'll be the person who needs saving," By this time, the furious kunoichi was standing in front of Itachi, hitting him in the chest with whatever natural strength she had. "Why are you letting me rant on like this?! Say something! Say something you freak!"

Sakura's captor continued to remain silent as she pounded on his chest. She eventually stopped, falling to the floor and sobs racking her body. Was it really him that was the problem? Or was there something more?

Red tinted emerald eyes jerked opened to see Itachi bending down rather close to Sakura, his own eyes fixed on her.

"Now you're the one acting like you know me." He spoke softly, completely to Sakura's surprise. "If I tell you more about me, you have to promise to keep it to yourself and to tell me more about you, because I highly doubt a few sarcastic comments from me caused this mental break down you're going through."

Sakura was confused but nodded her head in agreement before sitting against the bed, too tired to lift herself onto it. Itachi took his place next to her before explaining himself.

"Things are not always as simple as they seem, Sakura. Even in my situation. As you know, I used to be in ANBU. I was very skilled, and the village council would often send me on special missions. One day, I was out on one of my special missions when I ran into a mysterious man with a mask. He explained himself to be a member of the Uchiha clan, which was backed up by his Sharingan. He told me of the intentions of the Uchihas that I was not aware of. According to him, my clan elders and leaders were planning on bringing forth another ninja war. He didn't have to say it, for I knew why he was telling me these things by the end of his speech. I had a decision to make. I either had to murder my clan or let thousands upon thousands of people die due to their evil intentions. I'm sure you have at least one of two questions: why didn't you just inform the Hokage or why didn't you leave the children of your clan alive? Telling the Hokage of such matters would have done no good. There were many Uchihas, and they would surely have gone against my word. As much as it pained me to kill the younger ones, I had to. Their parents had been brain washing them with their beliefs, and they would have grown up to fulfill their parents dreams. Even my father had slowly begun to fill Sasuke's head with the nonsense. Why I was not part of such plans, I still do not know. In the end, I could not kill my little brother, the person who meant most to me in this life. Although what I had done was for the better, I could not stand to live with myself, but at the same time, I did not want to give myself up to the village. I had no proof of my reasonings, and did not want to die by the hands of people who knew nothing of me. This is why I have tormented Sasuke so, bidding him to hate me. I wanted to make him strong so he could fight his way out of any and all situations, and once I saw he was strong enough, I was going to let him kill me. However, things have taken a turn for the worst. I never imagined Sasuke would end up with Orochimaru. I thought he had better judgment than that. This is why I need my eyes fixed. I must set things right again before I die, whether it be due to Sasuke's hand or my own medical faults. To be quite frank, I love my little brother. I have secretly been keeping an eye on him over the years. Everything I have done, I have done for him. He is the only person in this world who means anything to me anymore. This is my story. This is the true story of the infamous Itachi Uchiha. Whether you believe it or not is yours to decide."

"I…" Sakura was at a loss of words, to say the least. "I don't know why, but I do feel like I should believe you. That's just a lot to take in. For as long as I can remember, I was sure you were no good. I feel bad for most of the things I have thought about you. If I were in your situation.. I don't know what I would have done. You're stronger in more ways than just physically. Thank you for trusting me with the truth, Itachi. It makes me very sad that you already have your end in mind."

Itachi closed his eyes and let some of the weight on his shoulders be lifted away. For the first time in a very long time, he actually felt like he could relax a little. "Now, it's your turn."

Sakura stayed silent for a few minutes, gathering her thoughts and preparing herself to bring up the past. Once she had done so, she began her story.

"My clan was never as big as yours, and, from what I know, was never nearly as special. By the time I was born, there weren't too many of us left. As I got older, the Harunos became fewer and fewer. It didn't bother me much, to be honest. I had my parents, and they were all I needed. They were murdered. You already know about that, so I'll spare you the details and spare myself from reliving the pain. I don't really have a long, drawn out story like yours. I've just been through quite a bit. Nothing compared to what you've been through, though. I was kidnapped when I was younger. The group of men who took me beat me and forced me to participate in strip shows. Thank the Gods I was saved. The sick bastards… What grown man would want to see a frightened little girl take off her clothes? Anyway, my mom did give birth to another child when I was about eight. He was an accident, but we were blessed nonetheless. It's the saddest thing, but… someone suck into our house while my parents went out for about ten minutes to get a few things from the store. The man who snuck in literally beat my little brother to death… I heard the baby hollering, but there was nothing I could do.. I was too young, too helpless.. Story of my life, right? I've always been made fun of for some reason. I've always tried to be sweet and likable, but for some reason it's never enough. Until recently, everyone has looked down on me. Even now, it seems more like they love my powers and position than they love me for myself. When Sasuke… When your brother left, it tore me apart inside. A lot of people thought it was just a little crush I had on him, but as time went on, it became so much more than that. It hurt me so bad that I couldn't stop him from going. I guess I've always felt very alone and mistreated. It must sound stupid to you, but that's my story."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Sakura. You have been through quite a bit, and have still managed to push through it," Itachi stood up before continuing. "Oh, and Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"…Thank you."


	9. Releasing The Tension

Sakura sat on the bench that was positioned next to Itachi's bedroom window. Through it, she could not see anything that would help her to determine where the hideout was located; all she could see through the window was part of the garden and some of the building. Her mind was racing. After Itachi had thanked her for listening to his story and left the room to attend to some business, Sakura could not will herself to stop thinking about him. She had to admit that she hadn't felt this way since she had been inlove with Sasuke.

Sasuke… he had left the village and had plunged into the darkness to kill his older brother that actually loved him. It really was a twisted world. The rosette haired ninja wanted to tell her lost comrade what Itachi was trying to do; she wanted to end the pain and suffering of both Sasuke and his older brother.

Sakura sat in thought, reaching into the depths of her heart for answers to her own questions. She could deny it no longer—she felt for her crimson eyed captor. She didn't want to lose him to death, whether it be by Sasuke's hand or his own ailments. She felt as though Itachi, despite all his misunderstood decisions, had an abundance of potential and could be a wonderful leader and a strong motivator to the ninjas of the world. Sakura had made up her mind; she was going to treat Itachi's eyes, and then she was going to do everything in her power to stop a deadly encounter between the Uchiha brothers from happening.

The soft sound of footsteps brought the kunoichi from her musings. Whoever was strolling by passed Itachi's room, halted, and then turned back around. She sat silently, unsure of how to feel. The tapping of footsteps stopped in front of the door. Who was it? Could it be Itachi? No, he hadn't left too long ago. Then who…

The door flew opened, startling Sakura. She found herself staring at a man with some kind of scythe in his hand. He had grayish hair that was slicked back, and his Akatsuki cloak was only buttoned up about half way, revealing his very toned chest area. His eyes held a maniacal gleam in them, and although Sakura found herself terrified, she could not look away. It was as if his eyes had sent her into a trance. As he began to speak, his voice sent chills down Sakur'a spine.

"Why, hello there, Pretty Lady. Jashin told me you'd be in here."

"Ja-Jashin..?" the frightened teenage girl stuttered.

"Yes, my God. You are Itachi's ward, right?"

"I am….Itachi's medical ninja. I have to heal his eyes, and—"

"Ah, of course," the man cut her off. "I'm Hidan. Itachi asked me to come and get you. He wanted you to meet him in our library, so that he can give you some scrolls and books and that kind of crap."

Sakura let out a sigh of relief at hearing Itachi's name. Though Hidan frightened her greatly, she would feel safe once they got to her protector.

"Alright, lead the way."

Sakura followed the gray haired Akatsuki member until they reached a large room. Hidan opened the door and stepped back, allowing her to make her way inside. Upon entering the room, the young kunoichi's stomach dropped. It wasn't a library; the area she was in had the appearance of a sacrificial temple or some insane slaughterhouse. She heard the door shut and click and a lunatic cackle release from Hidan. She knew in her heart that she was in some immense trouble.

Sakura felt the edge of a blade collide with her skin and the trickle of blood down her arm. She sluggishly turned around to meet the eyes of a monster. Hidan licked Sakura's blood off of his scythe and began to transform into something from a nightmare. His body took on a twisted black tint and his cackle began to sound like that of a demon.

"I'm sorry that I had to lie, girl, but Jashin really wants you, and so, I will offer you to him. Don't worry. For you, I'll make it quick. You better feel lucky about that, since I do love to cause people pain and suffering, and it pleases Lord Jashin to the max."

Hidan's words cut deep, and Sakura knew his blade would cut even deeper. She could attempt to fight him, but she knew it would do no good. Her chakra was still extremely low; she would prove to be no match at all for the deranged killer that stood in front of her. The rosette haired girl decided that the best result she could get out of the situation would be to not anger Hidan by fighting back, so he would at least make her death quick.

Out of both fear and rationality, the adolescent kunoichi got on her knees and bowed her head. She didn't want to see Hidan raise his sickle and bring it down upon her. She heard the insane worshiper lift the scythe above his head, and braced herself for the impact. In the back of her mind, Sakura felt like she deserved this for being so naïve.

Sakura felt the air break as her soon-to-be murderer swung his weapon, and she heard a collision. It took her a few seconds to realize that she had not been hit. The confused girl gradually lifted her head to see Itachi and Hidan fighting fiercely. He had come; her misunderstood captor had come for her. He seemed to have an act for showing up at just the right time.

Green eyes watched disconnectedly as the two Akatsuki members battled. Hidan was able to inflict one good blow to Itachi's arm with the blunt end of his sickle, but Itachi came back with a foot to Hidan's head, which knocked the wicked man off of his balanced. The Uchiha took advantage of his opponent's daze and pinned him down, ready to impose the finishing blow, but something seemed to stop him. Instead, he spoke.

"The leader has bid me not to chop off your filthy head. Feel blessed by his mercy; your miserable God had no power here. You were at my will, as well as our leader's. "

Itachi, obviously somewhat satisfied with his very brief speech, strolled over to Sakura and helped her up. He walked her back to his room, and, to her surprise, did not yell at her for letting her stupidity get the best of her.

"Are you hurt?" Itachi asked as he sat down on the bench on Sakura's side of the bed.

"I'm fine…" Sakura mumbled. "I just have a scratch. No big deal..."

"I see," Itachi started as he got up to get a band-aid. "Sakura, why were you wandering around? Did you not learn your lesson the day that you ran into Zetsu? I thought I was thorough in explaining that this is a dangerous place."

"I wasn't wandering around. Hidan came into the room, telling me that you had asked him to come and get me. I don't know why I believed him, but even if I had refused to go, he still could have taken advantage of me. I only have a small percentage of my chakra. I'm basically powerless, other than some knowledge…"

"You are right. I will perform a jutsu with Kisame tomorrow so that you may have your chakra back."

"You'd give me my chakra back?" Sakura seemed perplexed. "You don't worry about me trying to escape?"

At that moment, Itachi looked into Sakura's green orbs and plainly stated, "I believe you will do what your heart desires, and even if it isn't for me, I trust that you will stay for my brother."

"Oh… You have a point…"

"However," Itachi began as he walked back over to Sakura, "If you want the truth, I do not mind having you around."

Sakura stood up from her place on the bed and stared into the raven-haired man's eyes. She leaned in to give him a kiss but stopped.

"What is it?" Itachi questioned.

"Every time we begin this, we get interrupted, to be blunt," Sakura replied.

"Every time we begin what?"

A blush emerged on the kunoichi's face. This seemed to amuse Itachi. He allowed a slight grin to grace his lips. In a few swift motions, he took off his cloak and his shirt. His captive's blush grew more prominent.

"Itachi! What are you doing?!" she hollered.

"Calm yourself, Girl. The blunt end of Hidan's sickle hit me and I am merely scanning over the damage," Itachi explained. Sure enough, there was a very large, noticeable bruise that had turned dark purple and deep red. "I think that I will go wash off in the shower. My muscles are tense and I need to relax them."

"I'll come with you!" Sakura blurted out, clearly not thinking out her statement very well before she spoke. "I mean, not like that. I don't plan on showering with you or anything. It's just….I can help to release the tension in your muscles. I am a medical ninja, after all. I know a lot of tricks. I feel like I owe it to you for helping me…"

Itachi considered Sakura's offer for a moment and then motioned for her to follow him into the bathroom. Once inside, Itachi turned to her and asked what she wanted him to do.

"Start the bath, not the shower," the medical ninja told him. "Then strip down to your boxers, if you're comfortable with it. I'm going to have you sit in the bath and I'll have the shower running once it is full enough. From there, I will give you a massage. Okay?"

"Would it be adequate if I were to put on a towel instead of wearing my boxers?" Itachi questioned.

"Well, yeah. I guess that would be fine."

Sakura turned away from Itachi to allow him to change out of his boxers and into a towel. Once he was done, she turned back to him and instructed him to get into the bath. She then turned on the shower and began her massage.

Itachi relaxed into her touch almost instantly. It had been much too long since he had been able to just clear his mind and not worry about anything. Though he knew it wouldn't last long, he appreciated the time he was getting.

Once Sakura was done with the massage, she began to make her way out of the bathroom to give Itachi some privacy and let him dress himself. Before she could get out of the door, Itachi stopped her.

"You were not obligated to do this for me."

"I know. I did it because I wanted to," the young kunoichi responded. With a smile, she innocently but roughly patted Itachi's lower back, causing his towel to slip out of place. "Kami! I'm so, so sorry! I didn't mean to, I mean… uh, that was an accident!"

Sakura kept her eyes on the upper half of Itachi's body as she backed out of the bathroom and slammed the door shut. She sat, embarrassed, on the bed and waited for her company to make his way out of the bathroom so that she could apologize some more. Once Itachi came out of the restroom, Sakura was quick to hop up.

"I just want to say that—"

"Do not feel so bad about it," Itachi cut her off. "It was an accident. It's fine."

Sakura nodded her head and laid out on the bed. Itachi got in on his side and pulled out his art supplies to draw up a quick sketch before he went to sleep. After about thirty minutes, he addressed the girl lying next to him.

"Sakura, are you awake?"

"Yes," she answered. "Why? What is it?"

"Would you like to see my latest sketch?"

"Oh, yeah!" Sakura propped herself up and leaned towards Itachi. He tilted the paper that his drawing was on so that she could have a better view. As she scanned over the sketch, she realized that it was a lone wolf on the edge of a cliff, which was howling towards the moon almost eagerly. "It's beautiful, but what does it mean?"

"Well…" crimson eyes examined the drawing as he gathered his thoughts. "I guess you could say that the wolf represents me. It's alone, prideful, and mysterious. The moon represents my positive desires that guide me through the dark, which is represented by the night."

"Wow, that's pretty deep. Why does the wolf look so eager?"

"The wolf looks eager because it knows that although the moon can be seen so clearly, it will never be able to reach it. Not even the wolf's cries and howls towards it will be heard. Despite these facts, the moon still offers forth its light so that the wolf may make his way through the dark of the night. It relates to me because it has dawned on me that a lot of my intentions may not pan out as I wish for them to, but my goals are still there to guide me through all of the trials and tribulations."

After summing up his thoughts, Itachi put away his sketch and his art supplies and turned off his light. In the darkness, Sakura willed herself to speak from her heart.

"Itachi, I hope that you reach your goals, and I know that you have the potential to do just that. I believe in you just as much as I believed in your brother before he left and as much as I still believe in Naruto today."

The rosette-haired girl could not see Itachi's face to try and evaluate his feelings towards her words, but soon after speaking she felt his lips brush against hers. For what felt like eternity, the two of them lingered in their current position. In this time, Sakura realized exactly how safe she felt at the side of this miscalculated criminal.

Itachi finally broke the kiss, and whispered the words "thank you" to Sakura as he pulled away. Somewhat subconsciously, Sakura cuddled up to his side, and he seemed to welcome the gesture. She realized that her face had felt slightly wet after the man beside her had broken away from their kiss. _Had he began to cry?_ Sakura thought to herself. _Is the moisture on my cheeks due to his tears?_ _It must be… And he welcomed me into his arms. Have I finally begun to unmask the real Itachi Uchiha? I feel so safe beside him… I wouldn't mind feelings this way forever…_

Sakura dosed off, stuck in and confused by her musings, but there was one thing that was clear to her now: She wanted to bring out the true Itachi and she wanted to be with him.


	10. My Own Feelings

Sakura woke sluggishly, immediately realizing that the warmth consuming her through the night was gone. Itachi had left once again. _I wonder what exactly he does when he leaves me in here… I guess it would be best for me to just stay in the dark about it, _she thought to herself. She began to stretch, then stilled as she heard the stomping of running feet not too far away from the bedroom door. _Oh Kami, not again._

The door burst opened and in came a man with an orange mask over his face. He was panting heavily with his hands placed on his knees. "Whoops!" he exclaimed in a rather childish voice. "I hope I didn't break the door! Itachi-San would kill me for it! Maybe I should check… No, wait! I came in here for a reason. Uhmm… Hmm… What was it? Oh yeah! The girl with that candy colored hair! Found her!"

"Are you talking about me?" Sakura asked cautiously. Although the man seemed innocent enough, he still wore the Akatsuki cloak, which meant anything could happen.

"Yes I am! Oh wow, you're even prettier than Itachi-San made you out to be!" the mysterious member giggled out.

"Itachi spoke of me?"

"Oh yes! He told all of us—the rest of the Akatsuki, I mean—about you at the last meeting! I guess he felt like he had to since you had that run-in with Hidan! He can be so mean sometimes. I'm sorry that you had to meet him! Anyway, Ita-San told us that you were under his protection and not to mess with you!"

_Did he just address Itachi as "Ita-San?" Is he some kind of a joke? He seems nice, though, which is an improvement around here, _Sakura thought. All of a sudden, another man came through the already opened door. He had long blonde hair that covered one eye and an exasperated look plastered on his face.

"TOBI!" he hollered, obviously speaking to the masked imbecile. "Was it really all that necessary for you to run ahead and barge into Itachi's room like that?!"

"Deidaraaa-Samaaa! I just really wanted to see her!" Tobi whined, possibly using the puppy-dog eyes on his companion from under the mask.

"Ugh, shut up, Baka," Deidara commanded Tobi before focusing on Sakura. "Hey there, hn. As you should have already figured out, I'm Deidara, and that's Tobi. We came here because—"

"Because Itachi-San wanted us to get you some breakfast! Don't worry, we don't bite!" Tobi interrupted.

"Dammit, Tobi! Could you stop being so annoying!"

"I'm sorry, Dei-Sama!"

"Don't call me that!"

Sakura couldn't help but to giggle. She had been tricked before, but she felt as though she could trust these two. Besides, if they wanted to hurt her, they already could have—not to mention they seemed to be pretty harmless.

"Breakfast sounds great right now," she told the men in front of her with a smile.

At Sakura's word, Tobi began to march out of the door. Deidara and the pink-haired ninja followed. The group made their way down the jumble of hallways that seemed to have no serious layout plan and finally ended up in the kitchen.

"So, uh, I can cook," the blonde haired criminal stated. "What would you like, hn?"

"Oh, just whatever is easiest for you to make would be fine. I don't want to be a burden," Sakura replied.

"PANCAKES! MAKE PANCAKES!" Tobi sang while hopping up and down and clapping.

"If it will shut you up, I'll do it," Deidara spat before he began to get ready to make pancakes.

Sakura sat silently for a while, listening to the two men shoot comments back and forth. It was entertaining and helped her take her mind off of all the stress.

"Here are your pancakes, hn. Eat up. I know that you'll be healing Itachi's eyes, so I figure you need your strength. I don't know much about that stuff, but it seems like a taxing job," the blonde haired man rambled as he placed a plate of fresh breakfast in front of Sakura.

"Wow, this looks delicious! Thanks so much!" she exclaimed and then began devouring her food.

The room remained quiet while the trio ate. It was a pleasant kind of silence—one that Sakura felt comfortable being a part of. After all of them finished off the last bit of their meal, Tobi abruptly broke peace.

"So, Saku-Kun, how are you feeling?!"

Sakura thought about the masked man's question for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Tobi knows that your stay here hasn't been very nice! I was hoping that a bit of friendly company would put a smile on your pretty girl face!"

"That's extremely kind of you, Tobi! I am feeling a lot better now, thank you!"

A blush crept its way onto the young kunoichi's face at her new acquaintance's words. She genuinely appreciated the couple's attempt to make her situation more bearable. _I wonder if….maybe Itachi has expressed any interest in me to them?"_ Sakura thought to herself, and then decided to subtly bring up the issue.

"So… What exactly did Itachi say when he told the rest of the organization of my presence?"

"If I remember correctly," Deidara started, putting a hand on his chin, "he said, 'As some of you have already noticed, there is a female ninja in the facility that is not of our organization. Leave her be. She is of importance to me and is under my protection. My eyes have been causing me a great deal of problems and she is to fix them. If she winds up dead or injured, my eyes will continue to become more and more of a nuisance, and I will inflict immense pain on the person who destroys my source of remedy.' That's all I remember, I mean. All and all he said you were his property; you're his to use and do with as he pleases so no one should mess with you. "

Sakura's once rosy cheeks flushed to pale white. She felt her heart pounding against her chest. Her captor had spoken of her as if she were a mere tool, which she understood to an extent. He had shown some special interests in her that she knew he could not express to his fellow members. However, when he addressed them all, he spoke as though she held no meaning to him other than being one of the only ways to heal his damaged eyes. Itachi had not described her as a person, but had acknowledged her as just another instrument at his disposal.

"Thanks again for the amazing meal. I would appreciate it if you could take me back to my room. I should really get back to my research," the devastated girl choked out as normally as she could, forcing a convincing smile onto her face.

"Alright, I understand. We'll take you back," Deidara replied.

The walk back to the room was short, but this made it no less torturous. It was difficult for Sakura to maintain a level of enthusiasm so that her companions would not question her sorrow. When they made it back to the room, the broken hearted girl was relieved.

"I appreciate everything you've done for me this morning."

"It's no problem, Miss!" Tobi shouted. "We'll come back to check on you some other time! Good luck on your important stuff!"

With that, the two men left, leaving Sakura to herself. She sank down to the floor, her tears reaching the ground before she did. It angered her that she could not figure out why the situation hurt her so much. Maybe it was because she had been rejected by her first love for so long and she didn't want to go through it again; maybe it was because she felt like Itachi had never really felt for her, but had made it seem that way so that when he gave her back her chakra to carry out her duties, she would not try and escape. Regardless of the reasons, Sakura's heart had split in two. She cursed herself for letting herself fall for the man who had captured her. _The sooner I heal his eyes, the sooner I can leave and try to move on with my life. I'm sure he won't have a hard time doing that,_ she thought to herself as she gathered the scrolls and books she had yet to read.

After about two hours of intense studying, Sakura heard the bedroom door open. She briefly looked up to see Itachi entering the room, and then quickly averted her eyes back to the text she was going over.

"I see you have been working hard during my absence. I trust that Tobi and Deidara fed you as I asked them to?" the raven haired man inquired.

The agitated kunoichi hastily shook her head in response.

"Have you learned quite a bit from your studies today? I have come to take you to Kisame. We will be giving you some of your chakra back."

Once again, Sakura gave the same response.

"…What is the matter, Sakura?" Itachi questioned.

"What does it matter to you? Oh wait, it doesn't. I'll just say that I'll be getting your eyes fixed, so let's hurry up and give me back a bit of my chakra so that I can begin to experiment a bit."

Green eyes glared into red as the rosette haired captive stormed passed her captor and into the hallway.

"Well, let's go."

Itachi was curious about Sakura's erratic behavior, but decided to put the issue aside for later. He brushed passed her and escorted her to what seemed like some sort of training area. Kisame stood in the center, flashing his sharp teeth through a crooked smile.

"If you'll just step over here, I'll transfer some of your chakra back over to you. Don't worry, I'll try not to bite," the shark man chuckled out.

Sakura did as she was asked and stood close to Kisame. She watched as he sped through a series of hand signs, and then placed one hand on her stomach and the other on his sword. She felt a surge of energy as a portion of her chakra flowed back into her. It felt nice to have even a bit of her power returned. The jutsu took no time at all, as they were finished within minutes.

"Thank you," the pink haired teenager muttered under her breath.

"Don't mention it. Be sure to make this worth my while by healing my partner up. He makes it extremely easy to get my missions done, and without him, my work would be a hassle," Kisame responded.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that," Sakura stated before following Itachi back to the room.

The crimson eyed criminal close the door after his medical ninja was inside, and then turned to her.

"It seems that something is bothering you."

"I'm just ready to get this over with; I'm ready to go home."

Itachi's eyes narrowed as he looked over Sakura.

"You will tell me what is troubling you, girl."

"I have a name. I am a person, you know. It isn't really significant if something is bothering me as long as I get your eyes done."

"Obviously, the matter is of some significance if I am addressing the issue."

"What, are you scared one of your 'precious' tools may be broken? I'll be fine!"

There was a pitch change in Sakura's voice that Itachi did not overlook. It was clear that the girl was distressed.

"One of my 'precious tools'? Are you referring to yourself?" the expert ninja raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Of course I am!" the young kunoichi spat back. "At least I can count on being a little more important than some of your kunai—at least for now."

"I do not believe that I am following."

"Let me lay it out for you then. I know that you only see me as another instrument needed to accomplish your goals and nothing more. It's been wrong of you to play like you actually feel for me when you don't. You could have just said Sasuke's name and I would have been driven to help you; you didn't have to put me through all of this."

"Sakura… Is that really what you think?"

"I wouldn't be saying it if it wasn't."

Itachi stared at Sakura for a moment, taking in the issue. There were no words to be spoken and he knew that. When dealing with a broken heart, words prove nothing. He took a step closer to Sakura and put his hands on her face, stroking her cheeks gently.

"Wha… What are you doing?" the girl asked almost shyly.

"I'm not sure. I'm just doing what my heart is telling me to in this moment. I'll forget everything else for now," the raven haired man replied before leaning into a kiss. Sakura struggled a bit at first, but soon relaxed. Itachi very slowly trailed his right from her face to the base of her shirt, and then began lightly stroking her side. She shuttered at his touch, but did not stir. Itachi took this as a sign of approval. He gently pushed her toward his bed until she fell backwards onto it. In a few swift motions, he removed his cloak and his shirt.

"Your turn," the raven haired captor stated.

Sakura laid still. She didn't know what to make of the situation. It was all happening much too quickly. Wasn't she mad at him? Didn't she just want to fulfill her job and leave? All of her feelings were coming together in a mad rush of emotion as she leisurely removed her top and then her bra, exposing her proportioned but full breasts.

"Good," Itachi whispered as he took her breasts in his hands and fondled with them a bit, testing out the different reactions he could get out of the girl below him. She would moan as he ran over her nipples and arch her back if he squeezed them. Once he was satisfied with his knowledge of her body, the Uchiha decided that there had been enough playing around. He quickly but smoothly removed the dazed girl's bottoms, ultimately revealing her entire body. He found himself liking the fact that she was so exposed to him not because of her beauty—although it was unarguably there—but because he felt as though he was one step closer to completely comprehending the shy but fiery girl he had brought into his world.

Sakura watched as Itachi stood over her silently, lost in his thoughts. Although her emotions were running rampant, no thoughts were presenting themselves to her; her mind was blank as she lost herself in the moment. Her eyes followed Itachi's movements as he undid his pants and pulled them down just enough to expose his large midsection. He crawled ontop of her and then positioned himself appropriately. The pink hair girl impulsively wrapped her arms around him, awaiting his next move. He slowly lowed himself until she could feel him pressing against her.

"You have not done this before. Are you ready? Is this truly what you want?" Itachi's red eyes bore into Sakura's green orbs as he made certain of her desires.

"If I go along with what you are doing and follow my heart, then yes. I am ready and this is what I want," Sakura replied quietly, unable to raise her voice as she took deep, shallow breaths.

At the kunoichi's response, Itachi pushed himself into her, causing a yelp of slight pain to irrupt from her throat. He stayed still for a few seconds to let her adjust to his size before he gradually began to move. Her sighs of pain started turning into moans of pleasure as he sped up. The Akatsuki member himself could not contain his cries of longing as the intercourse became more passionate. Sakura grinded her hips against his to meet his movements, driving him to his breaking point. He thrusted into her roughly and rapidly, triggering her climax right before his own.

Once finished, the couple laid as they were, too exhausted to change positions.

"To make my point, I have not been tampering with your feelings, Sakura. I have my own for you. I fear that expressing any kind of interest in your behind that of needing your help could put you in harm's way, and that is the last thing I would want. I am sorry if I have upset you in any way because of this. Please understand my predicament," Itachi explained while stroking Sakura's rosette hair.

"I think that I should be the one apologizing, Itachi. I guess I'm just so tired of being hurt, that when people actually do care for me, it's hard for me to see it," she replied, unsure of how to properly shed light upon her actions.

"Enough talking. You do not need to explain yourself. I understand, Sakura. A quick nap may do both of us some good. You have been studying rigorously and I have been busy accomplishing my duties."

Sakura did not argue with the man sprawled out on top of her as she completely agreed with him. He leisurely rolled off of her, not bothering to do much else except lay a protective arm around her. She smiled to herself as a thought finally popped into her head:

_As angry at myself as I can get sometimes, it's moments like these that make me glad to have such stupid, unpredictable emotions. _


	11. Where The Heart Is

"Have you come across any trace of her?" Sai asked, weary eyes scanning his surroundings thoroughly.

"Not yet… Where could she have gone? The mission was so simple! If something happened to her—" Naruto's thoughts were cut short as he came upon a clearing. There was a large split in the ground and signs of a brief but fierce battle were scattered across the area. "Sai," he continued, "send in a letter to grandma Tsunade."

"Why? What should it say, Naruto?" the former Root member questioned. He readied his writing utensil and his paper.

"Tell her that Sakura has been taken by the Akatsuki. I would recognize her moves anywhere—mostly because she's used them on me multiple times—and by looking at how the land is split in two, I can tell she has been here," Naruto replied in the calmest voice he could muster.

Sai's face took on a very serious, concerned appearance. "How do you know it was the Akatsuki?"

The loud-mouthed team seven member reached down and came back up with something in his hand. Turning to his comrade, he revealed to him a small piece of black and red fabric that had been caught in the dirt. "Write the letter now. We have to find her."

* * *

><p>To her surprise, Sakura awoke from her nap first. She had an unpleasant feeling in the pit of her stomach but wrote it off as being hungry. She dared not move as she was still trapped in her company's embrace. <em>I really don't mind staying in this position from a while, <em>the girl thought to herself, a wide smile plastered on her face. _I wonder what he dreams about? I'd like to think it would be something terrible, but he seems to be sleeping peacefully. Maybe he actually dreams of ponies or something._ Sakura couldn't hold in a quiet giggle at the idea.

Itachi stirred next to her before opening one of his eyes. "What is so funny?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied innocently.

"I must say, you are quite the odd person."

"Oh… Sorry…" Green eyes lowered in sadness.

"I never said that it was a problem."

Sakura cheered back up at Itachi's words. He stretched and then sat up before continuing.

"I should get back to my duties now."

A frown replaced the smile that had been present on the kunoichi's lips.

"Do you really have to go? I would kind of like to just be here with you for a while longer. We've both been so stressed… Maybe we could eat something together and chat a bit..."

Itachi's red eyes locked with Sakura's green orbs. He could sense the many emotions that were raging within her.

"You speak of me taking time out of my day to participate in leisure activities in such a nonchalant manner."

"I'm sorry, Itachi… I didn't—"

"Your words do hold appeal. We both have been fairly stressed, and a day to myself does not seem like an awful idea. The leader is out on a mission with Konan, and I do not have any specific orders from him as to what I should be doing today. I have made a few rounds and finished up a couple previously incomplete tasks. I do believe that I can designate the rest of the day to relaxing and spending time with you."

A bright smile made its way back on to the rosette-haired girl's face. She embraced her companion and held him tightly, happy that she would not have to be so lonely that day.

"I will go prepare a meal for us," Itachi stated as he stood to get dressed. "Remain here. Do not bother picking up any scrolls or books. Take a break from researching. You are welcome to make use of my art supplies in my absence. I will be back soon."

With Itachi's last sentence, the door shut behind him, leaving Sakura in a comfortable silence. This was a foreign feeling, as Sakura had always been one to feel more content when around other people. Being alone left her to her thoughts, and she feared the pain that they could potentially cause her. Since she had been with her crimson-eyed captor, however, her discomfort in silence had morphed into some kind of acceptance. No, it was more than that; the young medical ninja had come to embrace the silence. It was as if even her worst thoughts could not conquer her anymore. She no longer associated the quiet with darkness but instead with peace of mind. Itachi himself had been tortured in the silence, waiting for someone to share his inner thoughts with despite having come to terms with the grim reality that no one would ever come along. _He was wrong,_ Sakura thought to herself. _Just like I was wrong about the silence. It seems like apart, it overwhelms me and pains him, but together, the silence is just another link connecting us. _

The green-eyed girl shook her head abruptly. What did she really mean? Her thoughts had become so deep lately that even she was not always sure how exactly to take them. She racked her own mind, searching for a meaning that could be found beyond the surface of the thoughts that had run through her head. All of a sudden, she found it. Sakura came to the conclusion that the silence was comfortable because they had already spoken many words, and from that point on, they could do no more justice. Only the subtle glances, body-to-body encounters, and other actions could prove to do justice to how either of the couple felt. Words could easily be falsely used—spoken but not meant. Actions, however, were often more true to feelings, as emotion could often lead to instinctive or involuntary movement.

Satisfied with the way she tied her thoughts together, Sakura decided to take advantage of Itachi's invitation for her to use his art supplies. She swiftly pulled a pencil and a piece of paper out of his drawer. Beaming with content, she was feeling inspired. There was only one problem: she had no skill in drawing or painting at all. The girl bit her lip in slight anxiety as she stared at her paper. How could she express herself without attempting a skill at which she was the complete opposite of talented in? She released her bottom lip from between her teeth as an idea popped into her head. She could always put an effort forth to write—maybe some poetry. _Now, what to write about?_ she mused, scanning Itachi's room diligently for anything to spark a literary flow. _Ah! His painting of the cherry blossom tree always brings me a sense of calm. Maybe I can write him a poem in relation to that, in return for the sketches he has given to me!_

With her final thought, the excited kunoichi began writing. Her pencil seemed to be in control of her hand, as it made loops and lines in a beautiful way that she did not think she was capable of. She continued to write for about twenty minutes, until she had finally stopped to examine her work.

_**Oh, beautiful cherry blossom tree**_

_**How do you so often bloom anew?**_

_**Your leaves come back each year**_

_**Despite what you go through**_

_**You fight through the seasons**_

_**And the harsh, merciless weather**_

_**All just to make sure that each one**_

_**Of your buds spring up together**_

_**I wish that I had your strength**_

_**And the beauty that you possess**_

_**So that throughout every day**_

_**I would not fear an ugly death**_

_**I hope my tears and regrets fall **_

_**Just as your winter flowers do**_

_**So that I myself, upon a season,**_

_**Can wonderfully bloom anew.**_

A gentle smile made its way onto Sakura's face. She was content with her writing and felt a sense of fulfillment. Her eyes set their gaze upon the window above the bench. There was a slight breeze running through the vegetation in the garden. She could feel the cool air as it came through the window, and she realized that she felt at home, despite being in such a mysterious, foreign place. _Home is where the heart is…_The young kunoichi thought to herself. She had heard Naruto say that a few times, and now she knew what he meant.

Wherever Itachi was, was where she knew she belonged.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I deeply apologize to all of my story followers from the huge delay in an update. The school year came around once again, and it always manages to stress me out with all of the work that I have to do. However, I plan on coming back to this story and finishing it up, so I hope that makes up for going so long without any new content. Even if the chapters aren't long, I will try to update regularly. I hope you all continue enjoying my story! Thank you for all of the support and reviews. Please keep all of the motivation coming!<p> 


	12. Deductions And Dedication

Itachi scanned over Sakura's poem as she began to eat the meal that he prepared. "You have a serious talent. This is beautiful," he complimented, placing the paper on the bedside table.

"Really? That means a lot coming from you," Sakura replied, a large smile making its way onto her face.

"Sakura, I have something that I wish to ask you about."

"Sure, what is it?"

"We have become very close and imitate, there is no denying this fact. This may be a move that brings more negative than positive outcomes, but the only way we can be sure is to try. I would like to gather the Akatsuki members that are currently here for a meeting, and there, I would like to introduce you to them. I feel as though you may be able to bring something out of them like you have done for me. They may not look it, but they need it. Although, I am wary of Tobi and Zetsu."

"I understand Zetsu, but why Tobi? He's such a sweet guy, although I guess there must be more to him, if he is in an organization of s-ranked criminals."

"Precisely. I have often wondered why Tobi was let into the organization, despite his clueless demeanor and his clumsiness. I have also wondered who he really is, as he possesses the Sharingan. I have reasoned that there must be something wrong with his other eye, due to it being covered. The incident that triggered my suspicions was Zetsu reporting to Tobi about occurrences before even going to Pain, our leader. Pain sifts through the information given to him by Zetsu and then relays the important information to us. So, why would Zetsu inform someone like Tobi before going to Pain? I dared not stay an extended amount of time when I caught the two, as I wasn't too sure how long it would be before they noticed my presence. However, I did linger long enough to hear 'Tobi' talk, if that is even his true name. His voice was dissimilar to how he normally sounds. It was deep, threatening, and serious. I was almost taken aback. As much as I despise bringing up the subject, I know, for a fact, that I killed every last member of the Uchiha clan that was in the village that night, other than Sasuke. Before my attack, I took my time to count each different chakra. I did not let one person escape, and with that, none of the chakra signatures of the members of my clan matched Tobi's, which—"

"...which means that Tobi wasn't a part of your clan. At least, he did not live in the village," Sakura interrupted, a disturbed look on her face.

"Correct. I have continuously tried to obtain more information on who Tobi really is, but I have yet to find much. Although, I did notice something peculiar, regardless of it having the potential to be merely coincidental. Your sensei only has one Sharingan eye—his left eye—just like Tobi. Even more suspicious, it is Tobi's left eye that seems to be missing or incapacitated. Itachi is not an Uchiha, yet he wields our kekkei genkai. This means that his eye must have been given to him by someone. In relation to that, Kakashi and Tobi seem to be around the same age."

"Do you think… that my sensei and Tobi somehow know one another?"

"That may be the case. Though, I cannot say for sure. I have no evidence beyond that which is coincidental. Kakashi was of good age before my clan was wiped out, so it could be that a different Uchiha bestowed their eye upon him, but I never remember any member of my family only having one eye. Plus, my clan was always much too prideful and selfish to do something like that for someone. Or so I thought. Aside from all of this, I just wanted you to know to stay even more cautious around Zetsu and Tobi than you do around the other members after I introduce you to them all. Although, I doubt Tobi would try and harm you. Whoever he really is and whatever plans he really has, they do not involve you and his act is still up. It would only affect him negatively to harm you. I feel that he has already calculated this."

"I understand, Itachi. I have no problem meeting the group. As long as you are there with me, I know I'll be safe," Sakura smiled gently at the thought of having someone so strong, handsome, and intelligent there for her. "I may ask my sensei about the situation with Tobi once I get back to the village. Speaking of eyes, though, before you take me to meet everyone, I would like to prep your eyes for the more intense operations I will have to do on them."

"That is fine. Let me go inform the other members that they are to gather in the meeting room in approximately one hour. Will that be acceptable?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"Make any preparations needed while I am out. I will return shortly." With Itachi's last word, he slid the door closed behind him.

As he said, Itachi did not take long to return to the room. The young konoichi had just enough time to focus her chakra and get the supplies she needed to perform her task.

"Alright, Itachi. I need you to lie on your back for me, please." At Sakura's word, Itachi laid on his back. She awkwardly undid his cloak and rested a rag drenched in warm water over his eyes. "Hello, I am Sakura Haruno, and I will be your nurse today. If you have any questions about the operation, please feel free to ask. All I ask is for your cooperation, so that I may be able to treat you to the best of my ability."

Itachi's lips curled into a grin. "Thank you, Nurse Sakura. I will be sure to cause little to no problems for you."

"Hehe. I'm glad you're such a model patient. What I am going to do is take the rag off of your eyes and place two of fingertips on each of them instead. You will feel a slight pressure and burning sensation as my chakra makes its way through your system. This feeling will not stop at your eyes. It will continue through your body, but it will not last long. You may feel as though you are peeing for a brief period, but I promise you, you aren't. Any questions before I begin?"

"Yes. Can I have a kiss to calm my nerves before we begin?"

Sakura let out a giggle at this and blushed slightly. "Well, I'm not supposed to have a relationship with my patients, but I guess I can make an exception this once. Just don't tell anyone, alright?" She finished her statement as she placed a small, gentle kiss on Itachi's lips. Once she pulled back, she removed the rag from his eyes and placed two fingertips on each of his eyelids, as she said she would do. She focused her chakra into her fingers and, at feeling she had finished, pushed her chakra into him. She felt his muscles tighten a bit, but they quickly relaxed. She had to maintain the flow of chakra for about thirty minutes, and then the prepping of his eyes would be complete.

"You know, Sakura, I find myself glad that I kidnapped you. I greatly apologize for putting you through the pain and stress, but I am content with how the situation has turned out. I never thought that I would ever hold anyone dear to my heart like I do Sasuke, but you have proven me wrong." Itachi almost whispered each word, but his quiet voice only made Sakura latch onto each and every syllable as she listened as carefully as possible.

"I'm glad you abducted me too, but now that we're like this, how about you ask next time, okay?" Sakura inquired playfully.

"Of course."

"Itachi…?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"I love you."

"Hmph. I hate having to state my feelings out loud, but I feel as though I am yearning to say this: I love you too."

* * *

><p>Tsunade slammed her fist into her desk, causing her glass of Sake to tumble off.<p>

"What's wrong, Lady Tsunade? Has something happened?" Shizune questioned as she tightened her grip on Tonton.

"Call for Team Guy, Team Asuma, and Team Kurenai! Issue them here on account of a kidnapping… Sakura has been taken by Akatsuki."

"Oh no! Sakura… Lady Tsunade, I hate to ask, but… are you sure I should issue them here on account of just a kidnapping or account of a kidnapping and p-possible m-murder…?"

Tsunade shot a death-glare at her assistant and long-time friend. "She has not been killed! She is like a daughter to me, and I will be damned if she went down just because of some over-powered thugs! NEVER ask something like that again, Shizune! How could you even think such a thing?!... Not to mention, I have the feeling the Akatsuki needed her for something important, if they took her without killing her. According to Sai and Naruto, although there are obvious signs of a fight, there is no blood indicating that someone was harmed. Sakura would not have gone with them while conscious, so she must have been knocked out but not actually hurt. It hasn't been long. To go through the trouble of taking someone as powerful as Sakura… They must need her for something that will take longer than a day or two to fix and someone who has grand power and knowledge of medical ninjustu. If only I could figure out what that 'something' is…"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade. That is a wonderful deduction. I will let the teams know that it is Sakura who has been taken right away, but I will allow you to brief them on the situation once they arrive. Is that alright?"

"That is fine, Shizune. Just hurry. If anything happened to her, I could never forgive myself. We have to find her."


	13. Akatsuki Art Competition?

"Thank you all for gathering here on such short notice," Tsunade scanned the room, eyes narrowed in both seriousness and sadness. "As I am sure Shizune has informed you, Sakura has gone missing. Evidence points to her being abducted…by Akatsuki." The hokage's last words earned terrified gasps from the young ninjas filling the room. "I know. I know. It is an awful, heart wrenching situation. But, hope should not be lost. The moment we lose our hope, we run the risk of losing Sakura forever. The scene at which she was most likely kidnapped from shows signs of a struggle, but no signs of fatal injuries on either side, as there was no blood. From this, it has been concluded that Sakura is still alive somewhere, under Akatsuki's supervision. They must have needed her for something, and that is why they went out of their way to waste their time with her in a fight and do nothing but knock her unconscious. As to what reason she was abducted for, we still have yet to figure out…"

"Permission to speak, Lady Hokage," Neji requested as he stepped forward. "I believe I may be able to shed a bit of light upon what Sakura has that the Akatsuki needs. You see, it is a little known fact that the Haruno clan was once made up of top-class medics. They created specialized medical ninjutsu, the likes of which had never been seen before. As we all know, the Haruno clan has dwindled to little more than Sakura in recent years, which would leave our comrade being one of the last living ninjas to have the Haruno special medical chakra running through her veins. I have been conducting research on the Akatsuki, and it seems as though Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's older brother, has been having severe issues with his Sharingan eyes. I have no way to be certain, but by piecing the evidence together I have come to a conclusion that Sakura was most likely abducted to serve as a sort of eye doctor to Itachi."

"Brilliant, Neji!" Tenten declared, hand over her mouth in awe at Neji's intelligence.

"Y-Yes, Brother Neji. Even if we cannot be sure that what you say is absolutely accurate, it s-still gives us an amazing lead to start from," Hinata anxiously added in.

"You are worthy of your title of Jonin, Neji," Tsunade praised the Hyuga as she placed a grateful hand on his shoulder. "Shikamaru, can you add any information to Neji's statement?"

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head in thought before answering. "I can give you coordinates of possible hideout locations as well as any stats we have on the Atatsuki members."

"Please distribute your data to everyone in the group before you leave the villiage. Neji, Lee, Tenten, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino… I am counting on you. Please help us bring Sakura home. Report back to me with any findings. You are dismissed!" At Tsunade's word, the nine young ninja dispersed, eager to find their lost friend.

* * *

><p>"I would like to express my gratitude for your gathering as well as my apologies for taking up your time," Itachi starts, eying over the room of s-ranked criminals. "As I am sure you are all well aware of by this point in time, I have been harboring a young medical ninja with me to assist in healing my eyes. Her name is Sakura Haruno. In a change of fate, she has been more of a help to me than I could have initially imaged. As a result, I have decided that she may be a help to us all, given the chance. So today, during this meeting, I would like to officially introduce her to you all. I have confidence that none of you will step out of line and you will all participate fully in the issue at hand. Should any of you fail to either participate in the meeting or attempt to harm her, I will kill you."<p>

"You surely are invested in the girl, Itachi," Kakuzu crosses his arms, obviously annoyed with having to attend the gathering but also intrigued by the new occurrences.

"Kakuzu is right. What is so special about her and what could she possibly have to offer the rest of us?" Sasori adds.

"I will allow her to explain her worth," Itachi calmly replies as he steps aside, allowing Sakura to present herself.

The pink-haired konoichi opens her mouth but then snaps it shut again. Her body freezes. She's afraid; even with Itachi at her side, she's very, very afraid. Who wouldn't be if they were in a room with some of the most dangerous individuals in the world?

"I…I…" Sakura tries to speak, but the words that usually so aggressively flow out of her mouth are caught in her throat for what seems to be the first time in her life. All of a sudden, the nervous medical nin is startled by something touching her shoulder. When she looks over, she sees the calm, confident face of Itachi looking back at her. She gulps, and tries again.

"As Itachi said, my name is Sakura Haruno. I am seventeen years old, and I come from a clan of incredible medical abilities. I'm one of the last living Haruno members, if not THE last. My parents went off on a mission and never came home… and my younger brother was beaten to death when I was about eight. When in the ninja academy, I was placed on a team with Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, Itachi's younger brother. Through them and the legendary sannin Lady Tsunade, I've learned a great amount of skills and techniques. I'm a leaf ninja, and my heart will always be with them. I can't offer anything to any of you that would come back to harm my village, but… maybe I could let you all in on what you've been missing in your time of being outcasts…"

"What the hell do you think we've been missing, huh? And what makes you think we care?!" Hidan complains as irritated as ever.

As Hidan yells, a voice speaks up from the back of the room. "Hidan, let the girl speak. She has done no wrong." To everyone's surprise, it's Pain.

"You of all people may want to take the girl up on her offer," Konan leisurely adds on.

"T-thank you, Leader." Sakura stumbles over her words a bit. She bows slightly in respect and earns a nod of acknowledgement in return. "Anyway, to address you questions, Hidan, I think that you guys have just been missing…living. You know, having fun, doing things just for the hell of it…Even though you're all able to distract yourself with the work you guys do, there still must be a hole in there somewhere. Even Orochimaru, one of the Hidden Leaf's biggest threats, finds some kind of…twisted…fun in the things he does. Can evil people not have fun or something?"

At Sakura's odd question, all of the Akatsuki members look around at each other.

"Well…What would you suggest as a 'fun' activity?" Deidara slowly questions.

"Hmmm…"

* * *

><p>"Alright everyone! Whoever can make the most appealing piece of art using their jutsus wins! The rules are simple: you cannot mold anything without using your chakra unless it is a very slight adjustment, you cannot harm your fellow contestants, and no cheating! Itachi, Pain, and I will be your judges! You have five minutes! BEGIN!" Sakura hurriedly sits down at the edge of the garden beside Pain and Itachi after her speech. She watches as the other Akatsuki members rush to complete their "masterpieces". After Deidara had asked what she would recommend as a fun activity, the pink-haired teenager thought of Itachi's drawing skills and suggested that they have some kind of art contest. Everyone seemed skeptical, but they all dove right into their projects. Konan was supposed to be a judge instead of Itachi, but she decided that she wanted to put her origami skills to the test. The older Uchiha brother offered to judge in her place.<p>

"Five minutes are up," Pain informs the group after some time has passed. Everyone quickly stops what they are doing. The three judges walk over to see what Tobi has created first.

The judges examine Tobi's…art. He created what appeared to be a flower crown with sakura blossoms. "Here! A cherry blossom crown for the cherry blossom princess!" the excitable masked man exclaims as he places the crown on Sakura's head.

"Oh! Well, thank you, Tobi. That's very sweet of you," Sakura smiles as she adjustes the mass of flowers on her head. "It's simple, but it's well done. I think I'll give it a…6/10!" Itachi and Pain glance at one another, but nod their heads in agreement. Next, the three walk over to Deidara.

"I have created a masterpiece out of my special detonating clay, hn," Deidara explains as he motions towards his creation. It is an extremely well made sculpture of a dove in flight. Sakura claps her hands in acknowledgement of its beauty.

"Well done, Deidara. 9/10." Pain praises and quickly moves on to the next contestant. Sakura and Itachi agree, and then follow close behind.

Next is Sasori. Beside the sand ninja is a puppet made completely out of things found in the garden, such as flowers, sticks, and long blades of grass. "I figured that creating another one of my normal puppets would be too average, in this instance. So, I decided to go with something a bit new," Sasori explains. Although he's trying to hide it, he seems proud of his piece of art.

"A unique twist on an already unique talent. Interesting. Well executed. 9/10," Itachi analyzes as he gives a nod of contempt. The judges then make their way to Hidan.

"Yeah, yeah. I already know, ya bastards. It's below average. I'm talented in killin', not in doing shitty art projects," the Jashin follower quickly shouts as he turns his head away from his art. Sakura is frightened at first glance, but then widens her eyes in awe. Hidan had drawn a picture using his own blood, but it was actually quite…appealing to the eye. It was a kind of abstract work. Definitely—or hopefully, for that matter—one of a kind.

"It's…um…a bit scary, but…I think that's part of the appeal. It's different. 7/10!" Sakura giggles a bit as Hidan smiles at her words.

"No shittin'? Huh. Maybe I am a bit better at this than I thought!"

Although the pink-haired konoichi somewhat enjoys Hidan's art and enthusiasm, she quickly scurries on to the next person, as the overly religious man still sends shivers down her spine.

"Kakuzu. A doll out of stitches, is it?" Pain observes Kakuzu's creation.

"Yeah. Something of the sort. You like it, or not?" the accountant replies, obviously not in the mood for any beating around the bush.

_I can see why he and Hidan are partners. They're both pretty morbid…_Sakura thinks to herself before hearing Pain speak again.

"Adequate. It has potential. 6/10."

With the leader's verdict, the three judges then make their way to Kisame.

"My water abilities don't really make art too easy for me, so I did the best I could, as always."

Itachi takes a step toward his partner to examine his work. The shark-like man had used his water manipulation to mold a beautiful water dragon. The ripples of the water made it seem as though it were shining.

"9/10, Kisame," Itachi quickly states. Sakura and Pain both nod their heads in agreement, and then follow the Uchiha over to the next contestant. Zetsu had decided not to participate in the competition but to instead supervise everyone else to prevent any cheating from occurring, so the only member left was Konan.

At feasting her eyes upon Konan's masterpiece, Sakura lets out an audible gasp. Although Pain and Itachi remain silent, their eyes illustrat that they share their fellow judge's amazement. The blue-haired woman had crafted an entire Cherry Blossom Tree, just out of origami. It was in bloom, and pedals of paper fell to the ground in the wind.

"Wow, Konan… This is really just… stunning. I can't even put words to how amazing this is. You're so cool! I really admire your artistic ability, that's for sure! I think Itachi and Pain can agree that your tree deserves a score of 10/10!" At Sakura's words, a faint blush creeps its way onto Konan's face.

"You truly think so? Well… I am grateful for your kind words. It brings me joy to know that someone appreciates my art."

"You're welcome, of course! I'm just acknowledging your talent, that's all! Well, this concludes our competition. The winner is Konan!" the green eyed girl announces. All but slightly to her surprise, the rest of the Akatsuki members begin clapping for the winner. Not even Hidan murmurs a threat or complaint.

Sakura turns to Itachi and smiles widely; Itachi looks back at her and places a gentle hand on her head.

"I knew that you had something to offer them, Sakura, just as you had something to offer me: hope that there are still joys in life for those of us who have walked the path of darkness for so long."


	14. This Complicated Simplicity

Sakura lies leisurely on Itachi's bed, reflecting upon the events of the day while Itachi takes his shower. _I saw emotions in s-ranked criminals that I never thought I'd see, thanks to that art competition. I'm not sure how to explain it, but this hideout seems more…homey all of a sudden, _she thinks to herself. The rosette-haired girl dares not delve too deep into her feelings, however, as she fears having to face any realities. She is with Itachi for the moment, and that is all she cared about… Wait. Is Itachi truly all that had been on her mind? Yes; that's accurate. Her thoughts had not roamed back to her friends in the Hidden Leaf Village in a while, nor had they roamed back to _him…_

_Sasuke…_ The name echoes in Sakura's head. So many questions have arisen in her time as an Akatsuki "captive", and those very questions are what she fears the most. They would make her face herself and her desires; she's not sure if she was ready to do so. Had she ever truly loved Sasuke, or was it just an infatuation? What she feels for the elder Uchiha brother was completely different than what she had felt for the younger sibling. Sakura had always strove to impress Sasuke; the more he insulted and ignored her, the more she wanted to prove herself to him. She thought she wanted to save him from himself, to save him from a life of loneliness and despair. In a way, the young konoichi still feels the same; she did still want to save Sasuke from a life of loneliness and despair, but it isn't exactly the similar anymore. Now, she wants to save him because he is a dear friend who did not deserve the pain he had been dealt. Sakura wasn't so sure that in the past she had just wanted to save her old teammate. Maybe she had really wanted to save herself…

The green-eyed teenager places her forearm over her face as she loses herself in thought. _These feelings I have towards Itachi… They really aren't the same as what I felt for Sasuke. I don't feel like I have to impress Itachi. Deep down, I….I know that he recognizes my strength, and because of his confidence in me, I want to continue bettering myself… I don't want to just save Itachi from his loneliness; I want to be by his side through it! I want us… I want us to find happiness, together…_

Sakura's thoughts are interrupted by the bathroom door gently swinging opened. She raises her arm off of her face just enough to see the man who had forced her to open up standing in the doorway. He has a towel tied around his waist, and although his face holds little expression, it is soft and comforting.

"What is on your mind?" the raven-haired man questions as he runs his fingers through his hair, presumably to make sure that it is not tangled.

"Just Sasuke…" Sakura replies, immediately regretting the way in which she structured her response. She watches a slight change in expression occur in Itachi's face; he looks upset, despite how hard he seems to be trying to hide it. "No, Itachi… I'm sorry. I really didn't mean for it to come out that way! It's just…I was thinking about whether or not I ever actually loved Sasuke the way I thought I did for so long… When I'm with you, I start to question things that I've never doubted before, and it scares me… But, I'm beginning to think that my feelings for Sasuke were just an infatuation. Sure, I loved him, but I wasn't in love with him. Ugh. Is what I'm saying making any sense?"

Itachi's expression softens again as a very small smile graces his lips. "Your words convey your feelings perfectly, Sakura; do not worry. I understand what you are saying. Although, you may want to work on how you structure your responses." At his last words, the Uchiha places two fingers on Sakura's forehead and lightly pushes off. It is what he had done to his younger brother all of those years ago. Sakura lets out a sigh of annoyance but quickly smiles. She grabs her companion's hand and pulls him lightly towards her. Their lips met, and although she has kissed him before, the young konoichi feels as though the kiss makes her just as anxious as it had the first time. Itachi steps forward some, causing Sakura to slowly lie back on the bed. Never breaking their lingering kiss, the s-ranked outcast places himself in between her legs. He allows the towel that is loosely wrapped around his waist to carelessly fall to the floor.

Itachi finally breaks the kiss to speak. "I can only speak for myself, but I believe it has been a productive day. Would you not agree that we should leave it off on a productive note as well?"

Sakura grins at her lover's words. He is blunt and awkward at times, but damn, is he smooth. She quickly responds by removing her top and, with some maneuvering on Itachi's part, her shorts and underwear. The young Sharingan user slowly pushes himself inside of his former captive, making sure not to hurt her. He plants soft kisses around her breasts until he is all the way in. Sakura nods an "okay" to continue, and Itachi starts to slowly move in and out of her. The anxious teenage girl focuses on every thrust as the feeling of ecstasy grows. Her quiet sighs quickly become screams of pleasure as her skilled lover begins to smash himself into her; he whispers something in her ear, but she cannot make out what his words are as her senses are all concentrating on her desires.

Sakura's screams turn into short shrieks as she feels her stomach become heavy. She digs her nails into Itachi's back as her insides tighten around him, causing him to moan and release himself inside of her. He hovers above her for a moment, both of them panting and sweaty.

Itachi begings to chuckle a bit, earning a questioning look from his lover. "So much for my shower, huh?"

The pink-haired girl giggles in return. "You're still clean enough to come to bed, aren't you?" At her words, the older Uchiha sibling repositions himself next to her. "Hey. What was that you whispered to me? Sorry. I couldn't quite hear it over…you know…"

"I only said that I am lucky."

"Lucky?" Sakura inquires.

"Yes, lucky," Itachi repeats, softly pinching her nose as he does so. "I suppose lucky is not the correct word. Maybe 'blessed' would better describe how I am feeling. Despite all of the questionable choices I have made in my life, everything I have done up until now has somehow led to this. I just made love to a woman with intelligence, beauty, and strength. I would say that any man would be lucky to be in my position, and yet, here I am. I am the one who was blessed by your presence."

The young medical nin opens her mouth to speak but finds herself at a loss of words. Certainly, at the exception of Naruto who she thinks of as a brother, no one had ever been so whole-heartedly nice to her. Tears well up in her eyes until they are dense enough to overflow. Itachi calmly wipes away the teardrops as they run down her pink cheeks. Once she gains a bit of composure, she tries speaking again.

"I…I really just wish things could be this simple forever…"

"I am not sure what you consider simple," Itachi replies, obviously prompting her to elaborate.

"I mean, I know that the situation seems complicated from the outside… You kidnapped me so that I could heal your eyes, and now, I'm inlove with what the world considers one of the most dangerous criminals… But, from the inside—to me, I mean—there's just two people who found each other under unexpected circumstances. See? Simple."

"I suppose I see your point. Let us enjoy the simplicity while it lasts. No need to worry ourselves with complications at this moment. Get some rest."

With Itachi's reassurance, Sakura curles up at his side. _I hope that no matter what complexities come our way, at least one simplicity will stay with us: we love each other,_ she thinks to herself before drifting into a sea of hopeful dreams.


	15. Friends And Promises

"Why have you summoned me?" A young man appears from the shadows, cold eyes piercing the darkness.

"Why, I've come across some information I thought you might be interested in hearing," a man with eyes like that of a snake replies, the mischievous grin never faltering from his lips.

"Hn. I don't have time for your games, Orochimaru."

"Of course not, my dear boy," Orochimaru begins, faking an apologetic nod. "You see, my sources tell me that a certain…friend of yours has been captured. Does the name Sakura Haruno ring any bells for you?"

The young man's eyes narrow at the name. "So what if it does? I left her and her memory in the Hidden Leaf the day I came here. If you have nothing more important for me, I'm leaving." As he spoke, the boy turned and began to walk away from his "master".

"That wasn't the interesting part. The man who captured her…was Itachi Uchiha." Orochimaru's words stopped the young man in his tracks. "Kabuto has leads on his whereabouts. If you'd like, speak with him, and he'll tell you what he knows. Oh, and one more thing."

"What?"

"If you find him, make sure to put on quite the show. I'll be watching…Sasuke."

* * *

><p>Sakura jolts awake, panting and sweaty. As she examines her surroundings, she calms down. <em>I…must have had a bad dream. Sasuke…It felt like I could see him…Like I was there with him…<em> The young kunoichi's thoughts trail off. She had a dream in which Sasuke, bent on blood lust, tracked down her and his older brother. He cut down anyone in his path, leaving dead bodies to decompose. Their innocence in the situation did not stop the young man who was so focused on revenge…

"Sakura. What is troubling you?" Itachi had been stirred by his companion's sudden awakening.

"Oh…It's nothing, really. I just had a bad dream. But, it feels kind of like an omen of some sort. It was about Sasuke. He tracked us down and—and—"

"—and it is alright now because it was just a dream," the raven-haired man cut Sakura off, giving a slight smile of reassurance. "I have been thinking about my younger brother quite a bit recently as well. I thought that my last wish in this life was to be put to death by his hands, but now… I am not so sure. I believe I have made a decision: I will relay the true happenings of the past to Sasuke. All of these years I have walked a path of darkness, only seeing one end goal; I let go of all of my aspirations, but now, having brought you here, I have gained some of my old desires and a few new ones. I no longer feel the heaviness of guilt weighing down on my shoulders so severely that the only thing I strive for in life is death. You have reminded me of the value of living, Sakura, and I cannot imagine continuing on this journey without you at my—"

Itachi is cut short by Sakura jumping up and running into the bathroom. She quickly falls at the toilet and vomits. It was such a sudden urge that hit her; her stomach was fine one second, and then she was nauseous the next. She flushes the toilet and lays her head on the edge of the seat. Her lover walks in after her, a worried expression making its way onto his face.

"Are you alright?" he asks as he grabs a small rag from the bathroom sink. He wets it a bit and dabs it onto Sakura's head.

"I…I think so. I'm not sure what happened. I just felt sick all of a sudden, but I'm fine now. Thank you." The confused girl looks up and smiles.

"I will take your word. I must go and attend a meeting with the other members. If you are feeling adequately enough, I would be grateful if you would take some time to do more research on how to heal my eyes. However, feeling better should be your first priority."

"Like I said, I'm fine now. I'll get to work as soon as you leave. Once you get back, I might even be ready to actually begin the healing process."

Itachi gives Sakura a loving pat on the back before standing up. "I will return in a few hours time. I will bring you food upon my arrival. There is tea in the room if you find yourself thirsty. Be safe."

With his last words, the elder Uchiha brother grabs his cloak and makes his way out of the room, leaving Sakura to be alone.

_I must've had something to eat yesterday that didn't set well with me or something. Well, anyway, since I have a few hours to myself, I may as well clean myself up a little! _The rosette-haired konoichi thinks to herself. She sits up a bit and turns the nob in the shower. Water begins flowing from the faucet and quickly becomes warm. Once the temperate is to her liking, Sakura puts a plug in the drain. A nice relaxing bath could do her some good. While the tub is filling up, she decides to go ahead and grab a couple of books and scrolls to look over. After meeting Tsunade, she had come to find out that she not only wanted to become a medical ninja to provide support for her teammates but also because she genuinely enjoys the information involved. So, she would have no issue with reading over the prints while taking her bath.

Once the tub is filled by about ¾ of the way, Sakura slides in. She lets out a sigh of relief as the warm water sooths her tight muscles. She allows her body to relax a bit before picking up one of her books to begin reading.

* * *

><p>"Naruto, how ya holdin' up?" Kiba asks his friend. Team Asuma, Guy, and Kurenai had met up with Sai and Naruto before they all continued their search for their missing teammate.<p>

"Fine, thanks. I'm worried about Sakura-chan, but she is one of the strongest girls I know. If I sat here worrying about her, she'd probably kill me for taking her strength lightly," Naruto responds, giving a tired smirk. Kiba nods his head in understanding and makes his way over to Shino and Sai.

The blonde-haired hero hangs his head once Kiba is far enough away. Who was he kidding? Sure, Sakura was strong and would fight until she literally could not go on any longer, but she was still human; she had limits. He fears that the longer they take to find their missing friend, the higher the chances of recovering her dead…

Naruto is snapped out of his thoughts by a tender voice calling out to him.

"N-Naruto. I'm…I'm sorry if I'm a bother. I just thought I would…come and m-make sure you're doing alright," Hinata forces out. Her long-time crush gives her a soft smile in response, but the light that usually over-takes his blue eyes is dim. "I…I promise that we'll find her, Naruto-kun. I'm willing to put my life on the line if it means getting her back to you safely, and…I don't go back on my word. That's m-my ninja way."

"Hinata…" At the Hyuga girl's words, Naruto faces her, tears brimming his eyes. "She's my best friend. I wasn't powerful enough to save one; I can't lose her too."

"I-I understand, but I…want you to know that you didn't fail in saving Sasuke. He's still out there, waiting for you to come get him, j-just like Sakura must be waiting for you come and get her."

"You…You always have believed in me, even before anyone else did. Thanks for that, Hinata, and thanks for helping out with getting Sakura-chan back. But, don't die trying, okay? What would be the happiness in getting back one person important to me if I lose another?"

The shy kunoichi blushes deeply at her crush's words and looks down. She is startled when she feels a pair of strong arms wrap her in an embrace.

"I know this is going to sound weird to ask, but…" Naruto starts, whispering into her ear as he hugs her. "…but please stand by my side through this. You've always been so nice to me, and I feel like I need your kindness now more than ever. I need more than just a friend; I need…someone who I _know_ loves and trusts me. I need you."

To Hinata's own surprise, she doesn't pass out or even blush; instead, she returns Naruto's embrace and speaks with absolute certainty in her voice: "I will always stand by your side, Naruto."

* * *

><p>AN: Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! It is about to reach its climax. I have been trying to upload a bunch of chapters over the last few days in an attempt to apologize for the long period of time in which no new chapters were being posted. I plan on continuing to avidly upload new material, so be ready! Also, please leave reviews and/or private messages for me. I love hearing what you guys have to say and your predictions for what will happen next! PS, sorry about the misspelling of "kunoichi" in the last couple of chapters. For some reason, my spell check kept correcting the word to "konoichi". I'll be sure to pay more attention. Thanks for your love and support!


	16. Sasuke Uchiha

The boy struggles under Sasuke's deathly grip, pleading for his life to be spared.

"Tell me what you know about the Akatsuki, or I will kill you," the young Uchiha coldly states. He stares blankly at his victim with one hand firmly planted on his sword.

"Okay, okay! I'll tell ya the little bit I know, but it ain't too much! Rumors spreadin' that the Akatsuki got their hands on one of the greatest medical ninja in the leaf! Her name was…Haruno or somethin'? Yeah, well, from what's been goin' around, that guy who murdered all of the Uchiha clan all those years ago needed her for healin' his eyes. Apparently usin' that Sharingan or whatever it's called has done a number on 'em. People around these parts've been talkin' about the Akatsuki hideout bein' close round here. Can't tell ya exactly how close; that's information I don't have. But I can tell ya that it's said there's a strong seal forming a barrier around the place, keepin' it hidden. Now, you've got what you wanted! Please, please let me go!" The boy begins struggling under his terrorizer's hold again. Sasuke releases his grip, allowing the boy to make his escape.

The former-leaf ninja examines the area. _Hmph. Using a barrier to conceal your location. How pathetic, _he thinks to himself as he begins walking again. _Itachi…So that's what you wanted with Sakura; you need someone to heal your eyes. Well, I don't mind ruining mine if it means killing you. _

Sasuke's hatred for his brother courses through his veins. The thought of driving a sword into Itachi's heart is one of the only things that brings him pleasure. Killing him would not bring their clan back, but it would send a heartless murderer to the hell that he belongs in. If only Sasuke had not been so young, helpless, and naïve at the time that his family was killed…Then he could have stopped the tragedy from ever happening. He was useless.

The young traitor clenches his fists at the remembrance of the night his family was murdered in cold blood. _How could someone do that to their own flesh and blood?_ he questions. His thoughts bring him to a stop. Would he truly be able to kill his own brother? He despises Itachi for what he did, but…he's still family—the last family that Sasuke has left in the world. All of a sudden, an image of Naruto flashes through his head. _Family…_

Sasuke quickly tosses his doubts out of his mind. He knows what he must do. He cut all of the bonds that he had left in order to gain the strength to end his brother's life, and there is no going back; he does not want to go back.

_Itachi Uchiha…I will pierce the heart in your chest that must have been hollow the night you killed our clan…What have you done with Sakura, I wonder? She is weak. She must have been an easy target. Are you heartless enough to kill a girl who cannot even properly put up a fight?_

The young Uchiha's thoughts go to his former teammate. She was always getting in the way; she was not strong enough to protect herself, much less those around her. Her friends were fond of her, however. Not for her strength, but for her charm. She was decently intelligent, Sasuke had to give her that, and she wasn't too hard on the eyes. He was glad that he ended up on a team with her instead of Ino; it could have been worse, he guessed.

The last time Sasuke saw Sakura, she had changed. She had become a bit stronger, but Sasuke still had to wonder what the extent of her new strength is. He had been hearing talk of her medical ninjutsu; it was said to rival even that of the great legendary sannin, Tsunade. Yet, the Sakura that Sasuke remembers was so weak and innocent. She knew little pain compared to him and Naruto; she had no motivation to become stronger, or so he thought. As he walks, though, he begins to think about the fact that he never really took the time to know the details of her life. Had she experienced hardships just as him and Naruto had?

The young ninja is lost in thought. He has not allowed his mind to wonder so freely in quite a while. What was Sakura doing at the moment? Was she healing his brother's eyes or attempting to fight?

If there was one thing that she had been decent at was fighting for Sasuke's affection. How pathetic. He had never been able to understand her infatuation with him. He hadn't wanted to become close with her, Naruto, or Kakashi, but they had all pushed their way into his heart. That is why he had to sever those bonds; they were hindrances, nothing more. Bonds could only hurt people and hold them back. The midnight-haired Uchiha had no room for them in his mission.

…_So save up your hatred and take it all on me, I'm the only one who can take it! It's the only thing I can do! I will shoulder your hatred and die with you! _Naruto's words somehow found their way into Sasuke's mind. He cringed at them. Idiot. How could he ever hope to understand Sasuke? He never had a family to love, so he couldn't possibly comprehend what Sasuke has gone through!

_Naruto…Maybe in another life, we could have…_Sasuke shakes his head. There is no changing what has happened in their lives. There is no point in thinking about the "what ifs". With his last thought, he clears his mind. He has only one goal: find and kill Itachi Uchiha.


	17. Naruto Uzumaki

He stares up at the stars, feeling more helpless than he has in a long time.

Naruto still cannot bring himself to believe it; his best friend and teammate had been abducted by Akatsuki, and they have no idea where she has been taken. He promised to protect those important to him, and yet he failed to keep the two most important people to him safe. Does he even deserve to become Hokage?

_"I-I understand, but I…want you to know that you didn't fail in saving Sasuke. He's still out there, waiting for you to come get him, j-just like Sakura must be waiting for you come and get her." _The blonde-haired ninja thinks back to Hinata's words. _Hinata…What you said…I'm having a problem seeing it right now. All I can think about is Sakura possibly being tortured or dead…I feel like I've failed; I'm a failure…_

"Naruto-kun? W-What are you doing still awake?" Hinata asks as she exits her tent.

"Oh! Hey! I'm just thinking. Sakura always tells me that I don't do that enough, so I thought I'd try it out," Naruto replies, lightly laughing.

The shy kunoichi hears only sadness in his laughter. It is obvious that he is completely overwhelmed, but of course, he would never admit that.

Naruto…The boy born into the world to become a vessel to a demon right after. Everyone hated him for something that he could not control; they all seemed to overlook the fact that he was still human, despite what he was harboring inside. Yet, even through the adversity, his determination to become Hokage did not waver. He continued to put out his heart for those who were heartless towards him.

As the years went on and Naruto trained with Team 7, he became more and more popular. His bright and optimistic personality touched the heart of everyone he met, and his strength began to surpass even his own expectations. He became a protector—a hero. People trust him with their hopes and dreams. He truly is spectacular, but when bad things happen, he is always so quick to blame himself. Despite the fact that he has shown his power and genuine-heartedness time and time again, it is never enough for him. He feels as though he needs to shoulder the world on his own. It is his most motivating and most destructive quality.

"I know S-Sakura will be fine, Naruto…" Hinata offers comforting words as she sits beside her crush. Naruto turns his head towards her while lying on his back.

"Yeah…I really hope so. I'm not sure that I'd be able to live with myself if something happened to her, ya know?"

As much as Hinata understands his pain, she cringes at his words. It hurts her that he feels so strongly for Sakura, when he seems completely obvious to her own feelings.

"I…I know…" she manages to choke out.

"It's a really pretty night. The stars are out. I wonder if Sakura-chan can see them too?"

"Uh-huh…"

"We've slept under a sky like this for missions a whole bunch of times, but I never get tired of it, ya know?"

"Y-Yes…Of course…"

Naruto notices Hinata's discomfort, but he is not sure what to say. How does he approach it? He has never been great with girls. What is she even upset about? Maybe he could use another subject to get it out of her without making himself look like a fool…

"Oh yeah, Hinata, that reminds me. Why are you awake?" The question seems to surprise her.

"I…Uh…It's kind of embarrassing, b-but…I had a nightmare…"

"A nightmare? What was it about?"

"It's s-silly…"

"C'mon, Hinata! Tell me! Now I'm even more curious!"

"W-Well…Okay…I-If you really want to know…My nightmare was about…it was about y-you…" Hinata focuses her eyes on the ground as she speaks.

"Oh yeah? Well, whatta about me?" Naruto pries.

"You…You were the one taken by Akatsuki, and…I…I tried fighting t-to get you back, but…I wasn't strong enough…"

"That's nothing to be upset about. I mean, the Akatsuki are crazy strong! It'd be difficult for anyone to fight them! I think you're a super strong girl regardless!"

At Naruto's words, the shy girl looks him in the eyes. "Y-You say that to me, but you don't feel the same about yourself?"

Hinata's response takes the hero by surprise. He looks away from her. She's right; he doesn't apply his statement to himself. Why? Why is he so hard on himself?

"I…guess I'm just afraid of letting people down…" he whispers, more to himself than to his friend. A gentle hand touches his cheek and pulls him to look back in the Hyuga girl's direction.

"I don't think...that you have ever let anyone down, N-Naruto, and I d-don't believe you ever will. You're the strongest person I know, inside and out. I…believe in you. I have faith that you will figure out a way to get Sakura back…The only way t-that you would let anyone down would be if you gave up, and I don't see you ever doing that…"

Naruto latches on to Hinata's words. They calm him and gave him his optimism back, just like they always seem to. As his gaze is upon her, he notices something…She is absolutely beautiful. Her midnight blue hair, her grey eyes, her soft smile, everything—it is all beautiful. Before he realizes what he is doing, the blonde-haired ninja leans in. Hinata does not move; whether it is because she is in shock or not, he doesn't know, but he knows that somehow, their lips meet. A surge of warmth makes it way over his body and intensifies when he feels her return the kiss. They linger in their position for a minute or two before pulling away, both of them panting.

"Hinata…I…I'm sor—"

"Don't apologize!" the flustered kunoichi blurts out. "I've…I've been waiting for this m-moment for a long time…"

Naruto stares for a moment, dumbfounded. He was so used to Sakura laying into him when he made any kind of advancement that he wasn't sure what to do next. Although his conscious mind isn't working, his instinct is telling him he wants more of her. Without thinking, he stands and holds out his hand. She takes it despite seeming confused, and he leads her back into her tint. Once inside, he gently pushes her onto her back and kisses her again, this time a bit more forcefully.

The heat coursing through Naruto's body continues becoming more prominent. He subconsciously reaches up for the zipper on Hinata's jacket, earning a muffled gasp.

"If…this isn't what you want, stop me now. I honestly don't know if I'll be able to stop if you let me go any further." Naruto lets out a nervous chuckle in an attempt to mask his desire. His female companion does not reply; instead, she unzips her jacket and removes it. Not stopping there, she takes off her shirt as well, revealing her bra.

The young jinchūriki runs his fingertips over the top of her breasts; they're soft, not to mention huge. Not wanting to risk looking like an idiot while trying to undo her bra, he just pulls the front down, exposing her pink nipples. Hinata blushes the deepest red he has ever seen her blush before, and it just makes him want her more.

Naruto repositions himself in between Hinata's legs and takes one of her breasts in his mouth. As soon as his lips make contact with her skin, he feels her back arch. He gently sucks on her nipple, making sure not to hurt her. He begins to lift one of his hands to grab her other breast, and in doing so, grazes against her crotch area. He is surprised to feel that it is moist, so he pulls away. Curious, he slowly places his hands on either side of her pants.

Hinata nods her head slightly to let her lover know that it is okay to continue. Naruto slowly pulls down her pants and underwear until he is able to completely take them off. The shy girl beneath him covers her face with both of her hands, obviously embarrassed. Not exactly sure what to do next, he places a finger on her sensitive area. She gasps, and he has to admit that he likes the sound of it. So, he decides to put a finger inside of her. He moves it around, earning more gasps. He can feel the groin area of his pants getting tighter with each noise she makes.

All of a sudden, the young Hyuga stops him.

"I…I w-want to…to…I want to make you feel good as well, Naruto!" she forces out, pushing her lover back. He catches himself and lands with his legs opened. She takes the opportunity to crawl between them and quickly undoes his pant zipper.

Naruto is surprised by Hinata's forwardness. Once she has his zipper opened, she pulls down his boxers slightly, allowing for her to grip his large member. She starts running her hand up and down the shaft. He hardly knows how to react, so he just closes his eyes and tries to focus on enjoying what she is doing. He is startled when he feels her take him into her mouth and lets out a moan. She lightly sucks, almost bringing him to his breaking point.

Naruto stops the attractive kunoichi, not wanting their session to be over just yet. He gets her to twirl around so that her ass is towards him. He sits up onto his knees and positions himself so that he can push into her. He does so, very carefully. She lets out a loud moan and then covers her mouth in fear that their friends might hear them. Once he is completely inside of her, he allows her body to adjust to him. When she indicates to him that she feels comfortable, he begins to move. His pace is slow to begin with, but with each thrust, it gets harder for him to control himself. Eventually, he is slamming into her, both of them panting in pleasure.

The blue-eyed hero feels himself reaching the top of his ecstasy. Not wanting to hit his climax without being able to see his lover's beautiful face, he pulls out of her and makes her lay on her back. He does not push himself back into her gently but instead thrusts into her roughly. His strokes become more and more erotic until he feels Hinata's walls tighten around his member. She shrieks in desire. He follows closely behind as he releases himself inside of her, not able to hold it in any longer.

After their session, Naruto and Hinata lie next to one another, unable to speak. Had he only done this because his emotions were running wild? No…No, that isn't it. He truly does feel for her, and thinking about it, she is better for him than Sakura ever could have been. He loves Sakura, of course, but not in the way that he feels for Hinata.

Sakura is full of fiery passion, but he has enough of that on his own. What he needs is someone who is calm, kind, and loving—someone who has passion but a gentle touch.

He needs someone like Hinata, whose tender strength is always present through her words and actions. He sees that now.

In his lowest time, Naruto sees that she is the one whose love will be the source of his confidence and power. He _will_ save Sakura. There is no doubt about it, so long as Hinata is by his side.


End file.
